Light through CYRS clouds
by LapisCow
Summary: Five years before the events of RWBY during the begining of the White Fang's uprising, team CYRS must train in Beacon to protect the world from monsters and criminals that would do it harm. Carter, the mysterious traveler. Yuan, the suave Mage. Raphael, a Faunus bent on revenge. Sam, the honor bound soldier. And all the other students attending Beacon, each unique in their own way.
1. Copper trailer

_Note: This is my first story, so I appreciate any reviews that anyone has to offer. I plan on updating the story every wednesday or so. Thank you for your time, here is the first trailer of the story; Copper_

_I do not own RWBY, it belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum._

_Special thanks to:_

_Otaku_dude_

_DeathByFabulousness_

_Mincer_

_For coming up with a few of the characters that will appear later in the story. Also very big thanks to The Rouge King for using one of my characters in his story; Team NAVD. You'll meet the character I submitted in the fourth trailer._

* * *

The harsh sunlight beamed down on the vast ocean of sand, the warm wind blowing and changing the dunes like waves on a sea. A lone figure walked across the desert, his shoulders covered by a dark green scarf that whipped in the wind behind him. He wore a grey jacket buttoned up nearly to the neck, and a small metal shoulder pad sat on his left shoulder. The boy wore metal gauntlets on his hands as he grasped the scarf above his lower face to protect from the harsh sunlight and billowing sand. He wore light brown pants that matched the sand around him with metal knee guards on strong straps. Two holsters rested at his waist on the left and right, swaying as he walked. His metal boots sunk into the sand with each step, yet each indentation was quickly swept away by the wind. As he reached the top of yet another dune, it could be seen that he had green eyes that looked across the sand. He stopped and stood staring out into the desert, seeing nothing but the seemingly never ending desert that spread out in all directions.

The boy pulled out a compass from the bag slung over his shoulder and was about to check his course when something caught his attention. Any untrained eye wouldn't have noticed the slight disfigurations in the sand, though the boy clearly saw the shapes moving under the desert, like sharks about to rise from the oceans surface. One of the many shapes moving around him suddenly changed its course and erupted out of the sand towards the figure, but he quickly sidestepped as the Death Stalker landed behind him. The scorpion turned around to face him, snapping its pincers angrily. The creature was about the same size as the boy, with red markings covering its white armor plating along its back and pincers. It raised its stinger, ready to strike, and the boy saw more of the scorpions begin to rise out of the sand around him.

Two more Death Stalkers rose out of the sand on either side of him, and the first rushed at him, stinger poised to strike. The boy jumped to the side to avoid the attack, only for the right Death Stalker to swipe at him with its open pincer. He raised his arm to block the attack, and the pincer struck against the metal gauntlet, letting a ring out into the desert. The Death Stalker pushed into the boy, it's pincer squeezing tightly around the gauntlet as it attempted to break his arm, but he quickly pulled a small pistol out of one of his holsters and shot the Scorpion in its mouth, killing it. Another Death Stalker was quickly onto the boy. but before it could swipe him with its pincer, the figure put his foot on the now lifeless body of the dead scorpion and propelled himself into the air above the remaining two Grimm. He pulled out his other pistol and shot down onto the creatures, but the shots only ricocheted harmlessly off the tough armor.

The boy landed back onto the ground, and raised the two pistols at the pair of scorpions. The first Death Stalker screeched a battle cry and charged at him, while the second burrowed into the ground for a surprise attack. The boy fired multiple shots at the charging Scorpion, and though most of them bounced of the creatures armor, a few of the shots reached their target. The creature screeched as it stopped just in front of him, it's eyes oozing dark red blood. The Death Stalker swiped at the boy blindly, but he easily dodged the attack and slammed his metal boot against the creatures mouth, cracking and breaking its armor. The Grimm was pushed back and spat blood, and was about to turn and attack again when a shot was heard and another bullet pierced through the creatures cracked hide, killing it.

The boy barely had time to lower his gun and look around for the third Death Stalker before it erupted from the ground next to him and attacked. The creatures pincer passed inches in front of his face as he turned to dodge the attack. The boy reacted quickly, firing his pistols at the creature as it landed, only for the Grimm to burrow back into the sand. Green eyes scanned the sand, looking for where the creature would emerge next. He aimed both his weapons around him, trying to catch sight of the creature. A noise to the right caught the boys attention as the Death Stalker burrowed towards him, appearing as a mass moving rapidly through the sand. He fired his guns at the approaching creature multiple times, but the shots missed as the creature moved around under the sand. When only a few feet away the creature erupted from the ground, mouth agape to bite at the man. As the creature was about to reach the boy he raised both his weapons at the Grimm's open maw, firing and launching the scorpion backwards. The Death Stalker bumped and skipped across the sand for several meters until it finally skidded to a stop, laying in a heap of strange angles and twitching legs.

More of the creatures began to move through the sand towards where the boy stood. A few of them appeared above the ground, snapping angry pincers as they advanced on their target. The boy sheathed one of his pistols while he transformed the other. The weapon started to fold outwards, extending its barrel and flipping up a small scope, changing the weapon into a rifle. The man loaded a clip into the rifle before aiming and firing at the oncoming onslaught of creatures. The bullets fired from the rifle were much more powerful than its pistols form, and the bullets no longer bounced harmlessly of the armor but ripped through it. The Death Stalkers numbers were thinned to half before the first of the scorpions got close to the boy. As the closest Grimm drew near he jumped the attack and spun the gun around to point to the sky before firing again, propelling the end of the gun into the creature head.

As the boy stepped back from the lifeless Grimm he was forced backwards as more of the creatures reached him. Some of the scorpions burrowed underground and appeared behind him, and soon the creatures surrounded they boy. He pulled out his other pistol and transformed it into its rifle form as well. The Death Stalkers snapped and jumped, trying to find a weakness in the mans defenses as they attacked him from all angles. He weaved and dodged the attacks, firing at any Grimm that got too close. The boy refused to give ground, and it looked like the fight was starting to even out. That is until on of the more intelligent creatures burrowed right underneath and attacked. When the two collided they tumbled down a dune, the scorpion snapping its pincers trying to strike at the boy. As they reached the bottom of the dune he kicked the Death Stalker away and righted himself. The creature turned to attack him, tail raised. The boy quickly tossed one of his rifles into the air and caught the barrel, and the weapon transformed again. The clip and grip along with the rest of the rifle folded towards the barrel, away from a large double edged blade. The barrel and grip folded together to form the handle of the broadsword the weapon had become. The blades metal shone brightly in the harsh sunlight.

The Death Stalker seemed unfazed by the weapon in front of it, and clicked its pincers angrily before charging the boy. His other rifle was still in rifle form but he did not fire it, waiting for the creature to get closer before striking. The scorpion swung its claw at the boy, but it was quickly blocked by the rifle before he pulled the trigger on the handle of the broadsword. The sword was propelled forwards fast enough to leave a streak through the air as it chopped through the creatures side. The Death Stalker screeched as its claw fell to the ground, separated from its body. The boy quickly transformed the other rifle into a broadsword as well. This swords blade however was single edged broadsword, unlike its brother. The scorpion turned to strike with its remaining claw, but was parried away before the boy embedded both broadswords into the creatures hide.

The rest of the scorpions descended down the dune to attack. The boy jumped back, pulling the to blades from the dead scorpion. The creatures numbers were nearly gone now, and they had no real advantage as they threw themselves at the figure. He was able to doge and cut around the creatures until only a few remained. The boy fitted the two ends of the broadswords handles together with a small click, combining them into a double bladed staff as the last of the Death Stalkers surrounded him. The closest Grimm jumped to attack, but the end of the staff caught its underbelly and lunched it past. Another attempted to go for the boys feet, but was easily avoided and found the end of the staff in its back. The last of the Grimm made one last desperate attempt, taking a great leap at the boy. But before the creature could reach him, he threw his staff spinning towards the oncoming Scorpion. The spinning blades passed right through the Grimm, and the creatures two halves landed in front of the boy.

Silence again enveloped the desert as the boy walked over the dead Grimm and pulled the staff from the sand where it had landed. The only thing that moved among the sand and occasional dead Grimm was the green scarf that flapped around the boy as he surveyed the carnage of the battle. It almost seemed like peace returned to the desert until a huge noise caught his attention. A huge mass of sand was moving rapidly towards where he stood, just like the scorpion Grimm had done before. As the shape beneath the sand came closer, it reveled itself with a explosion of sand as it burst above the surface of the desert. This Death Stalker was much larger than the others, being almost three times their size. It had scars along its back and pincers, which showed battle experience as it clicked its jaw angrily. The boy swung his staff around, taking a battle stance as the creature advanced onto him. The scorpion swung its pincer, sending up a cloud of sand as it struck at the boy. He quickly jumped and then propelled off the claw, spinning the staff to try and pierce the creatures armor. The blade bounced harmlessly off the creatures armor, and he landed on the side of the creature. Before the Grimm could turn he separated the two broadswords and sliced off two of the scorpions legs. Doing this though left a opening for the Death Stalker, and as it turned it slammed its pincer into the boy, launching him across the sand.

The figure righted himself before changing the two weapons back to rifle form and firing at the Grimm. The shots bounced of the armor harmlessly as the creature burrowed under the ground, charging again as a huge mass of sand. He turned and ran up a dune behind him as the mass approached. As the huge Grimm reached the top of the dune chasing the boy, it erupted from the sand as it ran out of ground to dig under. As he and the scorpion fell past the dune the boy landed on the head and fired multiple shots into the Death Stalkers eyes. The scorpion screeched and righted itself so that as it landed it burrowed under the sand once more, throwing the boy off its back. The mass of sand turned and charged again at the boy as he turned to face the creature. He took a deep breath and charged to meet the mass of sand. As the two almost reached each other, the boy jumped and fired his weapons towards the ground, using the force of the shots to launch himself over the Death Stalker. It seemed as if he would be able to avoid the Grimm completely, until the creatures tail appeared from the sand and struck. The boy landed to the side in a heap, both his weapons landing some distance away.

The boy staggered as he attempted to righten himself, but the Death Stalker was already above the ground and advancing on him. When he was finally able to stand strait, he breathed in deeply, preparing himself. The huge Grimm was now almost on him, and it swung its huge pincer once more. This time though the boy was ready, and he dashed forwards to avoid the strike. The Death Stalkers pincer dug into the sand, and the boy grabbed it, holding down. The creature growled and swung its free claw at the boy's head, but he caught the end of the claw before it hit him. The boy struggled to keep both pincers back, his aura assisting him, but the immense Grimm had more strength. The creature snapped its jaws angrily and pushed towards him, his feet leaving a gouge in the sand. He shook as he struggled, and as the scorpion sensed weakness it lifted its tail to attack. The boy breathed deeply again as the creature was about to strike. The Death Stalker thrust its tail towards him, but before it could hit the boy he glowed a faint green and his entire body turned rigged. When the stinger made contact with the boys head it shattered like it had hit stone, spreading orange particles across the sand. The scorpion screeched in agony as it wrenched its claws from the boys grasp and swung the remains of its tail in pain. The boy stopped glowing and dashed forwards, grabbing the creatures jaws and ripping them from its mouth before jumping back. The creature screeched again, spraying black blood across the sand.

The Death Stalker was blinded by rage and pain as it swung wildly, letting the boy retrieve one of his weapons from the ground. He spun the rifle, transforming it into the broadsword. The huge creature swung around to face him after hearing the transformation and charged blindly. The boy aimed carefully before throwing the sword, pulling the trigger at the same time to fire a shot the propelled the blade directly into the creatures gaping mouth. The blade passed straight through the scorpions body and exploded out the back, and the Death Stalker let out a gargled screech that cut off as it collapsed onto the ground.

The boy sighed as he breathed deeply from the fight, his aura almost drained from him. He walked over and retrieved his sword from the sand before transforming it back into the pistol and placing it into its holster. After retrieving the other weapon from the ground and put it away as well, continuing to walk up to the top on one of the taller dunes as if nothing had happened. When he reached the top he again retrieved the small compass from his bag, but looked around wearily before checking it. After correcting his course he continued down the dune, with the sun beaming down on the vast ocean of sand.

* * *

_Name: Carter Hemlock_

_Weapons names: Azul and Rojo_

_Semblance name: Endurance_

_Thanks for reading, the rest of the trailers will be posted soon._


	2. Gold trailer

_Second trailer: Gold_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

The shopping district of Vale was quiet as the day ended, and the shops that lined the street were closing for the night. One particular dust shop, named "Enchanters" was about to close its doors as well. The shop's shelves were lined with a variety of packages, each containing a different assortment of dust. Crystals ranging in various sizes and colors lined the shelves in no particular order as well. A tall skinny boy with shaggy longish blond hair swept the floor of the shop by the window. He had hazel eyes and pale skin, and a kind face. He wore a light blue tunic that usually had a small chest plate over it, but the armor was currently tucked away with the boys weapons in the small apartment at the back of the shop. He wore light brown pants and an old looking pair of sneakers. A few leather pouches rested at his side, filled with various dust crystals.

As the boy finished sweeping, he heard his name being called as one of his younger sisters ran up to him. "Yuan! Yuan! Show me how to do magic!" She said as she waved a small red crystal in her hand, "C'mon show me! Show me!"

"Whoa whoa slow down," Yuan said as he leaned the broom against the wall and knelt down to the small girl. "First off, it's not magic, its dust" he said, picking up one of the packages on the shelf and pointing to the label. "Second, this stuff is dangerous, so I'm gonna have to take that" he said as he held out his hand for the crystal.

"Aww," the girl whined before handing the crystal over to the boy.

"And third of all," Yuan continued, tossing the red crystal in his hand, "I can't do a thing without Morning Star."

"Awwww, pleeeeeeesssseeeee?" His sister said with big eyes.

"Alright alright, you've talked me into it," Yuan replied, ruffling the girls hair as she giggled. Yuan placed the crystal inside the bag at his side.

"You're not going anywhere mister," a voice said from behind the two. Yuan turned and stood up to see his mother standing there, holding a baby in one arm while her free hand was on her hip. "We haven't closed yet."

"We've only got a few minuets before we close," Yuan protested.

"All the more time for someone to come in," his mother replied, but she seemed to be paying only half attention. the baby in her arms began to cry and another toddler was tugging at her leg. "Have you finished packing?" She asked as she rocked the baby.

"I don't leave until next week," Yuan replied. His mother gave him a fleeting but stern look. "Yes..." He sighed.

The small girl at Yuan's side tugged at his leg. "Yuan, I wanna see some magic!" She said.

Yuan turned to face the girl before speaking. "I'm sorry, maybe ill be able to-"

"I'll cover your shift," another voice said. Yuan's only older sibling, Aria, walked over to the group. She had blonde hair like her brother, but had longer hair and seemed a few years older.

Yuan's mother appeared to think about it for a moment as she switched the baby to her other arm. "Alright, fine. But don't go and use any of that in here. Do it outside."

"Yay!" The smaller girl said as she started tugging on Yuan's hand.

"Thanks Aria," Yuan said as he let the little girl drag him away.

"You owe me!" Aria called back. Yuan smiled and waved her off as he entered the apartment behind the shop. The first and largest room of the apartment was a combination of dining and living space. A couch fitted in one side of the room while on the other was a line of counters, and above those were cabinets. A few doors led to the bed rooms and bathroom on the far wall. In the center of the room stood a dining table, with one of its legs propped up with a brick. Around the table stood a abundant of chairs, all different shapes and sizes, though some seemed to be falling apart. On two of these chairs were the last of Yuan's siblings; two brothers that were playing a game of cards.

One of the boys spoke when he saw the skinny boy walk in, "Hey Yuan! We're playing Hunters, wanna join?"

Before Yuan could respond however, the small girl at his side spoke. "Nope! He's to busy showing me magic!"

"What?" The first boy asked, not noticing his other brother sneaking a look at his cards. "Cool! I wanna see too!"

The small girl began to protest before the oldest of the group cut in. "Alright alright, just give me a second to-" A bell chime sounded from the shop across the wall, cutting off Yuan.

"Wonder who could be shopping this late," the younger brother said, looking to the old clock mounted to the wall.

"Don't know," Yuan said, looking to the door to the shop. He had a strange feeling from his aura, like when it warned him from danger. The small girl tugged at his shirt again and started to complain before Yuan shushed her. He placed his ear to the door and listened intently.

"Welcome to Enchanters, humblest dust shop around. How may I help you today?" It was his mothers voice, saying the usual routine for any costumer. Yuan heard multiple sets of feet walking into the shop, almost a dozen from what it sounded like. "You must be the White Fang! We're honored to have such peaceful and influential visitors. If you need anything, just ask."

Yuan heard snickering from a few of the people who entered the shop. Then a voice spoke, apparently coming from a figure of authority, for the other voices silenced when he spoke. "Im glad to hear that. It will make things much easier."

Yuan's mother spoke again, her voiced confused, "What do you-" she gasped as Yuan heard multiple clicks, which sounded like weapons being raised.

"Now that we have the formalities down, we can get to business." The man said. "Empty the cash register." Yuan took his ear from the door and turned to his three younger siblings behind him. They had a look of fear in their eyes, and the little girl was whimpering. Yuan pointed to the children, then to one of the doors at the back of the room, before finally putting his finger to his lips. The boys got the message, and quickly but silently took their sister through one of the apartments doors.

After the door was shut behind them Yuan quickly went to another door and opened it slowly. Inside where three beds, and he quietly hurried over to the small cabinet by the largest bed. Inside was Yuan's small chest plate, which he quickly fitted over his tunic. There was also a large triangular shield, made completely of a silver-like metal. After strapping the shield to his arm the boy turned to the final object inside the cabinet. The swords blade was shiny silver, and the hilt was a circular shape horizontal to the blade, with a hole through the center like a donut. Opposite the blade was the cylinder grip to the sword. Along the outside of the doughnut-like hilt were holes, and Yuan took the red dust crystal he had gotten from sister and placed it into one of the holes with a click.

After taking the sword Yuan silently left the room and went back to the door that led to the shop. He slowly opened the door and slipped inside the store before hiding behind one of the shelves. He almost didn't notice Aria hiding behind a shelf as well, holding the toddler that had tugged on his mother earlier. She let out a small gasp when she saw Yuan, but quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Yuan motioned her to go and hide in the apartment, but she scrunched her eyebrows and shook her head as if to say 'I'm not leaving you'. Yuan rolled his eyes and motioned again, but this time he also pointed to the child in her arms. She sighed and reluctantly edged to the door and was quickly out of sight.

After Aria was gone Yuan carefully looked out from behind the shelf. Almost a dozen Faunus stood around the counter where his mother frantically tried to pull money from the register and into a bag. Almost all the men had strange masks covering their faces with slits for eyes save for one. The Faunus without a mask must have been the one who Yuan had heard earlier, as he was the one closest to the counter and giving the orders. He wore a black fur coat and metal bands on his wrist. He had two wolf ears on his head along with long slick black hair, and when the man turned to speak with the Faunus next to him, the boy saw a bandage covering the mans left eye.

The baby Yuan's mother was holding began to cry, and the masked goon closest to Yuan growled before speaking. "Shut up!" The baby cried louder, and many of the other Faunus started to get angry as well. Yuan took the opportunity and snuck quietly from behind the shelf. Yuan's mother saw the boy and stopped dead in her tracks. Yuan motioned for her to get down, but she stood frozen. The Faunus in front of Yuan spoke again, drawing his sword. "Hey, I told you to shut up, not freeze!" The Faunus was about to walk forwards towards the women, but Yuan struck the back of his neck with the hilt of his sword.

The man collapsed, but another Faunus turned to look at Yuan angrily before swinging his sword. Yuan blocked the strike with his sword before smashing his shield against the Faunus, knocking him out cold. Yuan's mother seemed to come to her senses and ducked down under the counter. The unmasked Faunus with wolf ears turned to Yuan and growled. "What do we have hear?" The man said, "Don't you know to stay out of grown up business kid?" Two Faunus appeared behind Yuan with swords raised, while two more next to the man pointed pistols at the boy.

"You don't like it, come and get me wolfy," Yuan said, raising his shield. The wolf Faunus growled again and motioned the other Faunus to attack. The two with pistols opened fire, but Yuan raised his shield and the shots bounced harmlessly off it. The other White Fang behind Yuan charged, swords raised. The blonde boy quickly ducked and rolled out of the way, putting the charging Faunus directly in the line of fire for the pistols. One was hit and fell to the ground, but the other avoided the shots, only for Yuan to slam his shield into the Faunus's side. The masked Faunus fell to the ground, and Yuan looked back up to the lead Faunus. The two White Fang soldiers at his side had stopped firing and were looking at their comrade that had been hit with their fire.

"Why are you not firing! Kill him!" The man ordered, making the other two jump as they raised their weapons and fired again. Yuan rolled out of the way in between two of the tall shelves. He stood up only to hear a shout behind him, and he turned to see another White Fang member charging him with his sword drawn. He raised his his shield and as the blade collided with it the metal on metal rang. The Faunus dropped his blade and clutched his hand before he was knocked to the ground from a hit from Yuan's shield.

Two more of the White Fang appeared on either side of the isle, swords raised. "Let's get em!" One said, and they both charged. Yuan pushed down on the red crystal in the hilt of his sword with a click, and the blade erupted into flame. The Faunus stopped in their tracks, one of them saying; "What the?" before Yuan slammed his shield into the stunned man. The second Faunus took a swing at the boy, but Yuan paired away the strike, slicing the White Fangs sword with his fiery blade. The Faunus looked down at the melted stub of metal in his hand before turning and running right out of the shop.

Yuan chuckled as the fire died out from his sword, the red crystal was completely deteriorated. Then he heard a sound from behind him and whirled around to see the wolf Faunus standing there with the two other White Fang members. The two grunts no longer held pistols though. Those had been replaced with much larger rifles, and were aimed right at the blonde boy. "What's the matter, afraid to face me alone?" Yuan said, pointing his sword at the man.

The Faunus made a noise somewhere between a growl and a chuckle before speaking. "Your in no position to make any sort of statements." The man motioned to the men on either side of him, "kill him." The Faunus opened fire onto the boy. His shield was just large enough to protect him from the hail of bullets, but the constant impact began to push him back. The gun shots ricocheted off the shield and hit the shelves. One of the shots flew into one of the larger crystals that stood with many others. The crystal shattered, causing an enormous explosion to rip through the shop, launching Yuan back through one of the shop windows. He landed hard on the pavement and his vision went blurry.

Yuan sat up and looked around. His vision was beginning to clear but his ears were still ringing. He could faintly hear sirens blaring, and when his vision cleared he saw his family shop, "Enchanters". But it was smoking, glass was broken, and three men walked out of the building and walked towards Yuan. He shook his head to try and clear his vision. He saw his shield to far away to reach, but his sword was still at his side. He staggered upright, clutching the sword, then reached inside his bag and placed more crystals in the hilt until it was filled with six.

The wolf Faunus laughed when he saw the boy. "Still got some fight in you huh? What're you gonna do without your shield?"

"I... I still got..." Yuan stammered to speak, his ears were still ringing. He raised his sword and pointed it at the man.

The man laughed again, louder this time. "Suit yourself," he said before speaking to the other two. "Shots wide open. Try and do it right this time." The Faunus lifted their guns to point at Yuan, but before they could shoot Yuan transformed his weapon. The grip extended multiple feet, and the hilt folded outward to create a sun shape. After the transformation the sword had become a spear-like staff. Yuan concentrated his aura and a white crystal on the staff began to glow.

The men aimed and fired at the boy, but Yuan raised his staff and a white bubble shield appeared around him. The shots bounced off the shield and flew into the pavement and air, forcing the men to stop firing as they took cover. As the shield faded another red crystal on the staff began to glow. Yuan swung the staff in an arc in front of him, creating two large fireballs that launched at the Faunus. The fiery missiles spiraled through through the air and exploded on the ground near the White Fang, throwing the two grunts back and sending up a billow of smoke.

The leader wolf Faunus appeared from the cloud of smoke, brushing himself off. Yuan swung the staff around and took a defensive stance as the man stopped a few meters away. "You want something done, you gotta do it yourself." The man muttered, before raising both his hands. The bands on his wrist extended and folded outwards, covering his hands like metal gloves. Metal blades like claws extended from each finger. The man flexed his gloved hand before growling and charging at Yuan. The blonde boy raised his staff and yelled out a battle cry before charging as well. When the two got close the Faunus jumped over the boy and landed behind him, slashing with his claws. Yuan raised his spear behind him and blocked the attack. The man continued to slash at the boy relentlessly, barley leaving Yuan time to make any strikes as he blocked the onslaught. The boy took a swing at the mans head with the bladed staff, but the Faunus caught the blade and kicked Yuan in the chest, launching him back. The boy landed next to his shield, coughing. He looked to see the wolf Faunus still holding the blade of the staff, observing the weapon. "What quality metal. It's a shame it had to be wasted on a human such as yourself. I think I'll keep it as a trophy."

"That's... mine..." Yuan coughed, which only seemed to amuse the man.

The Faunus laughed before answering. "Oh really? Why don't you take it from me then."

"Gladly," the boy grunted, raising his hand towards his weapon. A purple crystal on the hilt of the staff began to glow, until a bolt of electricity surged through the staffs blade and into the Faunus holding it. The man yelled as he was shocked, and Yuan picked up the shield next to him and threw it at the mans chest. The shield impacted and knocked the man down, and the staff fell to the ground.

The sirens got closer and multiple police cars and fire trucks appeared around the corner of the street. Yuan saw the wolf Faunus drag himself from the ground before quickly slipping into the shadows, then his entire family emerged from the burning shop. His mother and multiple emergency medics rushed to Yuan's side before he finally collapsed.

* * *

_Name: Yuan Encanto_

_Weapons name: Morning Star and Tower sheild_

_Semblance name: Dust control_


	3. Platinum Trailer

_Note: the trailers are mostly in chronological order. Copper is first, but this trailer happens a day or two before the Gold trailer. so without further to do, here's the third trailer; Platinum_

* * *

Barley any light shone deep in the alleyways of the lower district of Vale. The moon was covered by clouds and the only light came from the small splotches that escaped the occasional window. Nothing could be seen through the thick shadows that cloaked this place, that is, for a human at least. The two Faunus that moved through these alleyways could see just fine, their heritage allowing them to see in the dark. The two men walked through a patch of light, and they could briefly be seen. The first Faunus was an old man, with a short beard and two floppy dog ears that touched his shoulders. He was dressed mostly in old clothing and he carried a wooden walking stick. The second Faunus was younger, looking to be in his late teens. He had short, dark brown hair and a pair of spotted cheetah ears on his head. His dark orange eyes scanned through the darkness for danger. He wore black t-shirt covered by a ragged leather jacket with the sleeves torn off. He had a stocky build and wore raged blue jeans with a chain as a belt. His arms had thick metal bracers and his black leather boots barley made any noise as he sneaked through the alleyways.

The two Faunus stopped in front a locked metal door. On the door was what used to be a symbol of a blue wolf head, but now a red wolf head with three claw marks covered it. The red paint looked fresh, like the color of blood. The old dog Faunus turned to the younger boy before speaking. "Be on your guard. We don't know what to expect." The cheetah eared teen nodded, and the man knocked on the metal door with his walking stick.

A metal slot opened on the door to reveal a pair of cat-like blue eyes. "Who's there?" A voice asked. "State yer business."

"We heard the White Fang was calling a meeting." The old man responded.

The blue eyes behind the slot looked from the old man to the teen and back before grunting. "Alright, wait a moment." The slot closed and the sound of locks and chains could be heard before the door opened. The blue eyed Faunus who had been behind the door wore a black hood, and he motioned the two inside. After the old Faunus and the teen were inside, he closed the door behind them and locked it. "Meetings down the hall," the cloaked Faunus said, pointing.

"Thank you." The old man said before the two turned and walked down the hall. The cloaked Faunus sat back down onto a stool by the metal door.

At the end of the hall the pair walked into a large room with a small stage on the opposite wall, and many rows of chairs lined the floor. Inside the room were dozens of men and women, all with either animal ears, horns, or tails. A few of the Faunus that stood by the walls had cloaks like the man at the door, but they wore metal masks over their faces as well. One of the men on the stage, a wolf Faunus with black hair and a fur coat with metal bands on his wrist, noticed the two as they walked in. "Bonitas! How nice of you to join us!" The man hoped of the stage and walked over to the pair.

"Nice to see you as well Vito" The old Faunus said.

Vito turned to the teen by Bonitas's side. "And I see you brought Raphael as well! Excellent, the more the merrier!"

"Yes, I though it would be appropriate," Bonitas replied. "If you don't mind me asking, why have you called this surprise meeting?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Vito said, looking towards a clock above the stage. "In fact, its just about time to start, so take a seat and you'll find out." And with that Vito walked back up to the stage next to a large bear Faunus. The burly man wore a pair of metal shoulder pads and his cropped brown hair had a pair of bear ears protruding from it.

Bonitas turned to the boy next to him. "What do you think of this Raphael?" He asked.

The boy had been silent for the entirety of the conversation, arms crossed and watching quietly as he usually did. When he responded, his eyes were still on Vito and the Faunas next to him. "Something isn't right. Vito usually isn't this happy."

The old man chuckled. "I suppose so. Lets see what he has to say." And he took a seat facing the stage, as did the rest of the Faunus in the room.

Vito spoke, gesturing to all of the people in front of him. "Welcome brothers and sisters! I thank you for joining me and my colleagues tonight. I have called this meeting to address a pressing matter. As many of you know, our esteemed leader has decided to step down from office, due to troubles with his health. As his son is too young to take control of the group, I have been appointed to take control of the White Fang." Vito paused as a few of the Faunus in the small crowd applauded.

"That explains why he's so joyful," Bonita's muttered before the wolf Faunus began speaking again. "And with this new power," Vito began, "I have decided to begin a new revolution for Faunus rights! For too long have we been stomped on by the humans, and I believe it is time for us to stomp back!" A few murmurs came from the crowd before Vito started up again. "Peaceful strikes and boycotts have done nothing to help our cause, and I believe that we must now take matters into our own hand, by taking what is ours!" Many of the Faunus in the room were cheering, clearly in agreement with the wolf Faunus. A few of the people however looked concerned and unsure.

"What?!" Bonitas said, standing up and drawing many eyes, including Vito's. "You can't be serious! Violence will only make things worse!" The few Faunus that had not cheered nodded in agreement with the old man.

Vito looked taken aback, clearly not expecting to have been challenged. "Bonitas, I thought you of all people would understand, what with the troubles you've been through."

"That is no reason to go to violence." Bonitas stated. "If we were to follow you, than it would start another war!"

Vito's expression changed from welcoming to angry, and he addressed the crowd once again. "Faunus of Vale! You have heard both sides, now which do you choose? Will you stand with a crazy old man, or your esteemed leader? Stand by me brothers and sisters, and you will find freedom!" Most of the Faunus in the crowd stood and walked onto the stage with Vito, including some of those who had not agreed originally. Only a few stayed sitting, and none stood by Bonitas except Raphael.

"You're a fool Vito!" Bonitas said with disgust.

"I am not the fool, you are!" Vito said angrily. "Where will you be when we gain freedom?! In the dump?! The ally?! Just twiddling your thumbs while the humans walk all over you!"

"I'm content to stand wherever I please, as long as it is not by you." Bonitas said coldly.

"If you are not with us, than you are against us!" Vito snarled. "Guards! Kill them!" The masked Faunus around the wall of the room advanced on the two, drawing swords and axes. Many of the Faunus who had remained seated panicked, and either ducked down below chairs or fled the room.

Raphael growled as the the masked men surrounded him and Bonitas. "You just had to go and start a fight, didn't you." He said, going back to back with the old dog Faunus.

The old man chuckled. "Don't pretend you weren't hoping something like this would happen. And thank you, for staying by my side."

Raphael grunted in response as the White Fang closed in. "Go for the old man! He'll be the easiest!" One of the masked men said. Two of the Faunus charged Bonitas, axes raised. The old man chuckled again before using his walking stick to block the first strike with surprising speed. He spun the staff around, knocking both men to the ground. As Bonitas dealt with the men attacking him, two more Faunus advanced on Raphael. One of them struck, but Raphael blocked the blade with his bracer before he uppercut the man into a few rows of chairs. The other swung his axe at the boys head, but the axe glanced off Raphael's bracer and he kicked the masked Faunus in the chest, launching him into another grunt.

More White Fang jumped over the chairs and charged Raphael. The boy raised his arms as a blade extended from the front each of his gauntlets. He roared savagely before charging at the oncoming grunts. Raphael barreled through the first two Faunus before slashing out, disarming another. He jumped and kicked the disarmed Faunus, sending him spiraling into the wall of the room. Two more swung their swords at the boy, but he blocked the strikes and smashed his gauntlets into the Fanus's masks, breaking them apart. One more White Fang member ran at Raphael, wielding a large two handed axe. The cheetah eared boy flicked his arm, and the blade on each arm split into three. The new blades became jointed, like claws, and as the huge axe swung down Raphael caught it with the blade claws. He wrenched the axe away from man and smacked him with the handle, knocking him onto the ground.

The blue eyed Faunus from the metal door ran into the room, rifle in hand. Once he saw Raphael, he aimed and fired a barrage of bullets at the boy. Raphael took cover behind a few chairs, and transformed his weapon again. On each gauntlet the claw blades folded back together into one blade, then retracted back into the gauntlet. Then a gun barrel extended from each gauntlet to take the blades place. After the weapon transformation finished Raphael appeared from behind the cover and fired at the Faunus. A shot hit the mans shoulder, and he dropped his weapon as he clutched at the wound, slouching against the wall.

* * *

Vito watched from the stage with the large bear Faunus and a few White Fang guards. The Faunus that had joined his cause had been moved through a back door and were on their way to the White Fang HQ. he saw Raphael take down the door guard before speaking to the burly bear Faunus next to him. "Bruno, take him out."

The bear Faunus chuckled before taking out a huge hammer with a spike on its head. "I'm gonna smash him to pieces." He said, grinning.

"Hurry up with it will you? We've got a few more of these to do." Vito said, glaring at the two Faunus decimating his men. The burly Faunus charged off the stage towards the cheetah eared boy.

* * *

Raphael heard a huge crashing sound and turned just in time to see the bear Faunus charging him. The burly man swung his huge hammer at the boy, and Raphael barley had time to dodge the strike. As the hammer hit the ground it scattered chairs and left a small hole in the floor. Raphael aimed both gauntlets and fired at the man, but the bear Faunus glowed a faint tan color, and the bullets ricocheted off his body. Bruno chuckled before smashing his hammer into the boy, launching him back into a row of chairs.

Raphael barley had time to react as Bruno charged at where he lay amongst the chairs. The bear Faunus swung his huge hammer, and the boy focused his semblance. As the hammer was nearly inches from his face, the boy glowed a faint red and moved suddenly in a blur. To others he appeared a blur as he darted out of the way, but from Raphael's perspective the world around him seemed to slow to a crawl. The teen moved around Bruno, hitting him with multiple kicks before finally releasing his semblance, and the world around him returned to normal speed.

Bruno flew backwards, the force of the kicks finally catching up to him. As he impacted the ground seemed to shake. Raphael transformed his weapon so that the claw like blades were drawn as he turned to the wolf Faunus on the stage. Only a few White Fang grunts remained, three on the stage with Vito and the rest getting mopped up by Bonitas. Raphael charged and jumped onto the stage, facing Vito. Two of the grunts by the wolf Faunus's side charged with weapons raised. Raphael sprinted forwards, battling the White Fang ferociously.

As the three Faunus clashed the third grunt looked unsure as he held his rifle. "What are you doing?! Shoot him!" Vito snarled.

"But sir, if I shoot I might hit the others." The masked Faunus said.

"Fine, have it your way." Vito growled, before wrenching the rifle from the man and pushing him aside.

* * *

As Bonitas knocked away the final masked Faunus, he turned and saw the events happening on the stage. Vito was lining up a shot aimed at Raphael, who was too busy to notice. "No!" The old man yelled before running up onto the stage.

* * *

Raphael kicked the last of the Faunus grunt away before looking at Vito to see the wolf Faunus pull the trigger on the gun aimed right at him. He didn't have time to activate his semblance, but didn't need to as Bonitas slammed into him, taking the shots from the gun. Time seemed to slow, but it wasn't Raphael's semblace as he watched Bonitas fall to the ground. Shock was quickly replaced with pure anger and rage as the boy roared in fury and charged at Vito. For the fist time the wolf Faunus had a look of fear as he attempted to shoot the oncoming teen, but Raphael's semblance was already active as he blurred around the bullets before reaching the man. He ripped apart the weapon before slashing out at Vito, leaving a gash on the mans left eye and flinging him back against the wall.

Raphael dashed to Bonitas's side, his anger replaced with concern. The old dog Faunus's clothes had splotches of blood that were rapidly spreading. Sounds of more men could be heard from behind the door in the back of the room. The teen quickly scooped up the old man and ran to the door from which they came, passing many injured Faunus laying on the ground. As they reached the entryway however the door at the back of the room burst open, and many more masked Faunus ran into the room, guns blazing. One shot hit Raphael in the leg, and the boy cringed in pain. He limped quickly down the hall and out the metal door into the dark alleyway, still holding the old man in his arms. Raphael looked around before limping down the dark ally, changing directions whenever he came across a intersection to try and throw off the perusing Faunus.

Finally the teen had to stop, the wight of the man and the pain from his leg becoming to much. He set Bonitas down carefully behind a large dumpster and knelt down next to him. Most of the old mans front was covered in blood, and he was loosing more fast. "No no no no," Raphael said as he frantically tried to stem the flow of blood with the newspapers scattered around him. Suddenly his arm was stopped, and he looked to see Bonitas holding him back. The old man shook his head as Raphael tried to hold back tears.

Then voices could be heard coming down the ally, including Vito's. "Nowhere to run boy! There no place I won't find you! I'm gonna find you, and I'm gonna kill you! Just like I did that old man of yours!" The voices passed, and Raphael turned back to Bonitas. The old Faunus pointed to a picture on one of the newspapers by him. The teen picked it up and saw that It was a picture of a castle like structure, and above it where the words; 'Beacon Academy, training the best fighters and warriors since before the dawn!'

Raphael nodded, still holding back tears. "I'll go there, and get stronger. I'll avenge your death."

Bonitas shook his head, pointing to the picture on the paper once again, then placing a finger on Raphael's heart. The old man could not speak, but he was able to mouth out what he needed to say; 'stay safe'. The mans arm went limp, and the light died from his eyes. Tears finally escaped Raphael's eyes, as he put his head onto the old mans lifeless chest. The boy had never had something to cry over, and he remained by Bonitas's side for the rest of the night.

* * *

_Name: Raphael Gepard_

_Weapons name: Kogot Vintovku_

_Semblance name: Agility_


	4. Iron trailer

_Last trailer! Thanks again to The Rouge King for using this character in his story. I did change her a bit since I submitted her, so there may be a few differences. Heres the last trailer; Iron_

* * *

The sun beamed down brightly on the large arena set in stone. The pit had many crumbling stone structures around its bottom, and the sun was directly overhead, so no shadows could be seen. Amongst these ruins stood a short girl. She had long wavy brown hair that was currently held back in a messy ponytail. Her copper eyes scanned the ruins that surrounded her, plotting out her next move. She wore a tan undershirt with a darker brown shirt covering it with two leather shoulder pads held by matching belts that cross on her chest. On her right arm she wore a metal elbow guard, while on her right she held a circular iron shield, the same color as her hair. She had cut denim shorts and a leather belt with two hip guards, one on each side, and wore strong leather combat boots.

Suddenly a voice could be heard, resonating though the arena out of speakers, "We're ready when you are Sam."

"Let em in!" The girl called. A clanking sound could be heard, and a hole opened up in the rocky wall of the arena on either side of the girl. Two Ursi charged through each of the openings before the doors closed behind them. The first pair spotted Sam before roaring and charging at her. The girl held her ground as the two Grimm neared, then rolled out of the way as a claw crashed down were she had been. She stood and slammed her shield into the Ursa's head, and the creature staggered back. The second creature charged head first at the girl, but she jumped and propelled herself of the Grimm's head, landing on one of the stone structures.

The creatures roared and slammed into the structure, shaking it. As the structure broke loose and began to fall Sam jumped onto one of the creatures backs and raised her shield. A blade extended from the side of the shield, opposite sam's elbow, and she plunged the blade into the back of the Ursa's neck. The Grimm collapsed, and the other Ursa's charged at Sam once again. She dodged away from the charge and righted herself to face the Grimm. The bear roared and slashed out with its claw, but the strike was met with the shield and glanced off it. Sam rolled under the Grimm and slashed upwards with the blade, cutting open its neck. She pushed the lifeless Ursa off her as its body went limp and looked around.

The girl heard a roar and saw the other two bears recklessly charging her. Sam retracted the blade and threw the shield at the oncoming creatures. The disk impacted on the closest Grimm's head, causing it fall and trip up the other creature. Both Ursi slid multiple feet towards Sam as her shield bounced of a few of the structures and back to her hand.

She waited for the creatures to regain their footing, wanting a fair fight. The closest creature swung its claw at the girl, but she jumped back. Sam raised her shield again, but instead of a single large blade, smaller, shorter blades extended all around the edge of the shield. The Ursi roared in anger and stood on its hind legs, trying to intimidate the girl. She threw her spiked shield, and the disk cut right through the Grimm, cutting it in two. The other Grimm growled angrily and charged forwards. The girl ran towards the Grimm as her shield bounced back to her arm and she slashed out with the edge of the shield, cutting off the arm of the bear. The creature roared in pain and slashed out with its other arm, but Sam ducked under the strike and slashed again, decapitating the Ursa.

As the creature collapsed the voice could again be heard through the arena. "Excellent work! We'll have the results in just-"

"Send in the next batch!" Sam called out angrily.

"Oh, uhh, of course." The voice said, and clanking could be heard again as the doors opened once more. But instead of a pair of Ursa appearing from each door, two King Taijitu entered the arena. The first of the two headed creatures slithered towards Sam, hissing menacingly. It reared its head and smashed its fangs into the ground, forcing the girl to jump backwards. As she landed, the other head of the snake struck, knocking her back.

Sam stood up off the ground to face the creature as it prepared to strike again. She retracted the small blades around the shied on her arm. The snakes first head struck, and Sam once again jumped to dodge the attack, but as the second black head tried to strike again she raised her shield, blocking the strike. The snakes fangs broke on the shield and it screeched in pain. The two heads lunged at Sam and she ducked behind one of the stone structures and ran away from the snake. The King Taijitu slithered across the floor in pursuit of the girl. Sam turned and threw her shield at one of the oncoming heads, but the snake ducked and the disk ricocheted out of sight.

As Sam turned to run behind another stone structure the head of the snake with broken fangs appeared in front of her. She turned to run the other direction but the second white snake head appeared behind her. The giant snake hissed as its two heads closed in on the girl, until a whistling sound could be heard. The snake cocked its two heads just as the round shield slammed into the black head, knocking out whatever remains of teeth it still had. Sam jumped and propelled off the stone structure, catching the shield and landing on the snake's black head. The large blade extended from the shield and she stabbed the creatures eye multiple times as it thrashed about in pain. Finally the black end of the Grimm ceased to thrash, and the head collapsed under the weight and pain from the girl.

As Sam pulled the shields blade from the snakes head another swooped down upon her, but as she dodged she saw that it was from the other King Taijitu. Three snake heads now faced her, all rearing to strike.

Sam ran and dodged around the many stones and rocks as she tried to avoid the three hissing heads that pursued her. As one head struck she hid behind another stone structure, only for another to smash through the stone, sending Sam and multiple boulders spiraling to the ground. One of the stones the size of a bowling ball flew straight at Sam, and as she activated her semblance she glowed amber and punched the rock, shattering it. She was still glowing as another snake head lunged towards her, and she grabbed a boulder twice her size and lifted it, smashing it into the Grimm's head.

The snake reared and shook itself, hissing at the glowing girl. The two other snake heads closed in on the girl, but she turned and slammed her fist into one of the taller structures behind her. The huge stone tipped and fell onto the single headed snake, trapping it. Sam extended the small blades all around the edge of her shield and threw it. The disk skidded across the ground before slicing through the trapped snake, separating the head from the body. The shield bounced off a few rocks and was about to return to Sam when she was slammed aside by another snake head. The shield bounced off the ground and stuck high on the rock wall of the arena.

Sam stopped glowing as she stood up to face the last two heads. She looked around at the stone structures, plotting out a path to her shield. The white snake head lashed out at the unarmed girl, but she jumped above the strike and ran along the creatures back. The other head lunged at the girl, but she glowed amber again and slammed her fist into the creature, knocking it down and propelling her up to the top of one of the structures.

The girl jumped from stone to stone as the snake tried to strike her. The creature crashed through the structures she stood on, trying to break her ground, but she was always one step ahead of the creature. She made the final jump onto the edge on the wall and wrenched her shield from the wall. The King Taijitu slammed its heads against the wall, causing it to shake and the ledge Sam stood on began to crumble. The girl scanned the structures and large Grimm beneath her before activating her semblance once more. She glowed as the ledge around her began to fall, and threw her shield. With her semblance enhancing the throw the disk sped through the air with incredible speed, leaving cracks in the stone as it ricocheted off the ruins. The snake Grimm's heads lunged at the girl on the falling the ledge, but the shield ricocheted of another rock and sliced both heads off the creature. The disk bounced and returned to Sam as the ledge she stood on slammed into the ground, and the body of the two headed snake collapsed around her.

Once again the sound of the speaker could be heard, this time applause ringing before the voice sounded again. "Well done! Simply excellent!"

Sam turned to the closest speaker on the wall. "Release more Grimm! I'm not done yet!" She said.

"B-but, there's no more. You've defeated all the ones we had." The voice replied, sounding nervous.

The short girl crossed her arms before speaking. "Fine. What's the stats?"

Sounds of paper and clicking could be heard before the voice sounded again. "You've killed fifteen Ursi, twenty two Beowolves, twelve Boarbatusk, and that pair of those snake things whose name I can't pronounce. All of that in just under two hours! I must say-"

"WHAT?!" Sam said, voice livid. "Two full hours?! I could've done it in one! Bring out more Grimm!"

"B-b-but, I already t-told you that we're out of Grimm!" The voice said fearfully.

"Fine! I'm leaving!" The small girl snarled before stomping to the door in the wall of the arena.

"O-of course" The voice said. "L-let me get the d-door for you." But before the man on the microphone could remotely open the door, Sam activated her semblance and slammed her fist into the manual control panel by the door. The panel shattered, and the metal doors slid open as Sam stormed out of the arena to give someone a piece of her mind.

* * *

_Name: Sam Ambero_

_Weapons Name: iron Scale_

_Semblance name: Strength_

_That's the last trailer! First chapter of the real story will be out next Wednesday and that's when I start the schedule of posting a new chapter each week. Thanks for reading!_

_(P.S. most of the characters that appear in this story will be none canon, except for the teachers and an occasional short appearance of some of the other characters from RWBY)_


	5. Chapter 1: New life, New light

_Here's the first chapter! I've already gotten a few followers before the story even began, so thanks and enjoy!_

* * *

The Vale airship docks were bustling with activity in the early morning. Men, women and children all went about their usual lives, going either to work or to school. One figure stood out among the rest, wearing a grey jacket and a green scarf on his shoulders, his clothes coated with a thin layer of dust and sand. Carter Hemlock stood in front of the flight notification board, holding a slip of paper in one hand while the other held a bag over his shoulder. The paper was an acceptance letter from Beacon academy, and had all the information to access the school, including the flight schedule. The flight number was thirty seven on the paper, and as Carter looked back up to the electronic board it also said thirty seven, the only problem was that the boy was completely lost in the vast airport. He would have asked for directions, but the people in the airport seemed far too busy. That is, until he heard a voice behind him.

"Carter?" The voice said. The teen turned to see a tall skinny boy with messy blond hair walking towards him.

"Yuan!" Carter exclaimed as the blonde got to him. Yuan was also holding a bag, and his weapons rested on his back.

"Heeeeyyyy!" The blonde boy greeted, embracing his friend. "What are ya doing here? I haven't seen you in forever!"

Carter held up the acceptance letter so Yuan could see. "Got accepted into Beacon!"

"What?! No way!" Yuan said before pulling a matching letter from his pocket. "Me too!"

"Awesome! Good for you!" Carter replied.

"Thanks man" Yuan said, punching him on the shoulder good naturally. A small cloud of dust rose up from Carter's dirty clothes. "Dude, you're filthy! What have you been doing, rolling around in the dirt?"

"You could say that," the brown haired boy responded as he tried to brush dust off his clothes. Then someone bumped into Carter, nearly knocking him over and causing him to drop his bag.

"Watch it!" The Faunus boy who had walked into him growled before stalking off, his cheetah ears flicking angrily. The boy wore a ripped leather jacked and a pair of heavy metal bracers.

"Geez, what's with him?" Yuan asked as he watched the boy disappear into the crowd.

"Dunno," Carter said as he picked up his bag. "Hey, do you know where the flight is?"

Yuan looked at the letter in his hand. "Flight thirty seven huh? I wouldn't know, this is the first time I've been here."

"Same," Carter replied. "Maybe if we ask around we'll find another student who does know."

"Sure," Yuan responded. As the two looked around the crowd, music started playing by the far wall. "Maybe someone over there will know."

"Gotta start somewhere." Carter said, and the two boys walked through the crowd towards the music. Once they got to the scene they saw a small crowd surrounding a group of street performers playing various instruments, and at the center of it all danced a teenage boy. He had tan skin with blue hair and multicolored clothing. His metal boots reached up to his shins and looked mechanical in nature. As he danced he did various flips and spins, which brought cheers from the crowd and a small hat on the ground in front of him was rapidly filling with lien.

"Do you think he knows?" Yuan asked.

"Maybe. But I don't think we have time to wait for him to finish." Carter responded, looking to a large clock mounted on the wall. "The flight leaves in pretty soon."

"Damn, we're never gonna find this flight!" Yuan said exasperatingly.

"G'day! You two wouldn't happen to be looking for the flight to Beacon, would ya?" A voice said behind the two. The boys turned to see a teen standing behind them. The boy wore a cowboy hat and mostly leather clothing. At his side were two holsters that held revolver-like boomerangs, and across his chest was a cartridge belt holding different types of dust rounds.

"Yes, do you know where it is?" Carter asked.

"Aye mate!" The boy responded. "Name's Oliver Tie by the way. Looks like we'll be hunters in training together!" He said, shaking Carter's hand.

"Nice to meet you," Carter said as Oliver released his hand. "I'm Carter, and this is Yuan."

"Yo," Yuan waved his hand in hello before Oliver shook it as well.

"So you said you knew where the flight was?" Carter asked.

"Ah, right. Follow me!" And with that Oliver turned and walked off into the crowd. The two boys looked at each other with raised eyebrows before hefting their bags and following the exuberant boy. As they walked, Oliver spoke again. "So mates, what're your stories?"

"What do you mean?" Carter questioned.

"I mean how did ya get into Beacon? What'd you do beforehand?" Oliver said.

"I helped out in my family's dust shop." Yuan replied. "It let me learn how to use dust, and I'm hoping I can get some money from being a hunter to help out my family."

"Sounds very noble!" Oliver said as he patted Yuan on the back before turning to Carter. "And what about you mate?"

"I've been... traveling." Carter responded vaguely. "For awhile."

"Very cryptic! I like it!" Oliver exclaimed enthusiastically. Yuan looked to Carter with his eyebrow raised, but before he could speak he walked right into someone in front of him. He fell to the floor, along with the girl he bumped into, and the stack of books she had been holding toppled to the ground.

"Ouch, sorry about that." Yuan said, rubbing his head.

"That's alright." The girl replied. She had long ash colored hair and wore a green blouse and tan skirt with multiple clips on her side. On her back she had a small square shield that doubled as a sheath to a falchion. She was squinting and feeling on the ground like she was looking for something.

Before Carter could ask, he saw a pair of square glasses by his feet and picked them up. "Here," He said, handing the glasses to the girl.

"Ah, thank you!" The girl took the glasses and placed them over her eyes. She blinked rapidly before looking around. Oliver and Yuan had gathered her dropped books, and handed them back to her.

"Sorry again," Yuan said as he handed the girl her books. As he was giving her the stack however the topmost binder fell and opened as it landed. Inside was a variety of trading cards, each with a headshot of various different people. "Oh cool! You collect Hunter cards!" Yuan said as he picked up the metal binder.

The girl's eyes widened as she hastened to respond. "Umm actually no those are my sisters! I wouldn't ever play a game like that! That's just silly! It's for kids of course!" She tried to snatch the binder from Yuan but couldn't with her hands holding the large stack of books.

As she struggled another voice was heard fighting through the crowd towards them. "Sis? Siiiss? Where are you Kyla?" A girl appeared through the mass of people. She had ash colored hair just like the other girl, but wore it in two ponytails and had a little blue bow on her head. A blue ribbon was tied around her waist and she wore a light blue blouse and a white pair of pants. At her side were two pistol-like weapons. "There you are! C'mon, we're gonna be late!"

"Oh, hello Opal." The girl evidently named Kyla said. "I'll be right there!" And she tried to snatch the book again to no avail and sighed. Yuan had been too busy observing the different cards to notice Kyla's frantic attempts to retrieve the binder. "Umm. Excuse me?"

Yuan looked up from the cards. "Oh right, sorry. You said these belonged to your sister?" He asked, and started to hand the binder to the girl named Opal. "Here."

"Naw." Opal said, taking the binder. "Kyla's just too embarrassed about it to admit she collects them." And she promptly placed the binder at the top of her sisters stack of books.

"Umm, well, actually," Kyla stammered, hiding her face behind the books in her arm.

"Sorry to beak this up mates, but we better get a move on" Oliver said, pointing to the large clock. It was only a few minuets until the flight would leave.

"Shoot, we gotta go!" Carter said, and he hefted his bag before hurrying through the crowd, Yuan and Oliver in tow.

"C'mon c'mon c'mon!" Opal chanted, tugging at Kyla. "We've got to get to Beacon!"

"Right," Kyla replied, and both girls followed the boys towards the platform.

As the boys reached the platform, they saw the huge airship that was currently being boarded by various different hunters and huntresses in training.

Yuan saw the boy that had been dancing with the performers walking into the airship as well. "Great! Even he got here before us!" he exclaimed.

The boys turned as they heard Opal's voice again. "C'mon, bag drop off is over here!" They nodded to each other before following.

As Yuan and Oliver lifted their bags into a filling luggage compartment in the side of the ship, Carter began stowing his bag away in one of the less filled compartments. As he finished, Opal came and stood facing him, staring at him intently. "Umm, hello?" Carter said.

"Why are you wearing that jacket? Aren't you warm?" The girl asked.

Carter looked down to his coat before responding, "Oh, well actually-"

"And whats with the scarf? Have you been somewhere cold? But your clothes are all sandy! Were you wearing a jacket in the desert?" Opal streamed out questions to the boy, who wasn't quite sure what to do.

Then Kyla walked over to the pair and put her hand on her sisters shoulder. "Opal, let him be. Go see if that security guard knows when the flight leaves." She said.

"Okay!" Opal said happily before skipping off and pestering a guard with various questions.

"Sorry about that." Kyla began. "My sister can be a little... Much."

"That's alright. She seems nice," Carter responded, "My name's Carter, by the way." The boy said as he held out his hand.

"Mine's Kyla." She said as she shook the boys hand.

Then a voice blared over speakers in the platform they were on "ATTENTION! FLIGHT THIRTY SEVEN WILL BE DEPARTING FOR BEACON ACADEMY IN ONE MINUTE! ALL PASSENGERS PLEASE BOARD."

"We better get moving." Yuan said, walking up to Carter.

Kyla turned and called to her sister, "Opal! C'mon, its time to go!"

"Coming!" The girl in ponytails responded, and she skipped over to the group. As Oliver met up with them, the five made their way up the ramp to the ship just as it was closing. The massive ship rumbled beneath them as it came to life, and the wing-like appendages at its side lifted into the air. The engines blared, and the ship slowly lifted off the ground and slightly forwards, moving outside the massive hanger door at the side of the building. Carter looked out the window towards the slowly shrinking airport of Vale, then looked ahead towards the building at the top of the distant cliffs, wondering of what adventures were to come.

* * *

_Note: just to clarify, Oliver speaks in an australian accent, but since its the world of Remnant and not earth, I couldn't put that in the text._

_Thanks for reading!_


	6. Chapter 2: Writers and romance

_Here's chapter two! This ones a little interesting, though I think it came out okay. Enjoy!_

* * *

The massive airship moved elegantly over the city of Vale in the late morning. It had only taken a few minuets for the airport to disappear from sight, and now the airship was picking up speed. Carter and the rest of the group walked through the ship, toward the main observation deck. Opal was currently tugging on Kyla, wanting to explore the vessel.

"C'mon!" Opal said. "Lets _gooooooo_!"

"We can't," Kyla responded. "We've got to meet up with the other students."

"But I wanna go look around the boat!" The girl whined as she let go of her sister.

"Opal, listen," Kyla began as she turned and continued down the hallway of the ship, "You and I both worked very hard to get our spots in this school, and we should not be spending our time absentmindedly wandering around this-"

"Umm," Yuan said, cutting Kyla off. "She's gone." He pointed to the pair of blond pigtails that were disappearing behind a corner.

"Oh shoot! I'll see you guys later!" Kyla called over her shoulder as she chased after her energetic sister.

"You think we'll see those two again?" Carter said as he watched Kyla disappear from sight.

"I hope so. Kyla was kinda cute," Yuan said, nudging his friend "Think I can get her number?"

Carter rolled his eyes. "No, I don't. And she doesn't exactly seem like your type."

"What d'ya mean?" Yuan asked. "Every girl's my type!"

"Suuuuree," Carter said as they entered the main area of the ship. The hallway-like area had windows along both sides, giving a beautiful view of the city below. Most of the other students were here; some were talking to each other while others kept to themselves.

"We'll, I'm off!" Oliver said, tipping his hat to the two other boys and walking towards the other students.

"Wait, where are you going?" Carter asked.

"Gotta go mingle!" Oliver responded, "Can never have too many friends!" And with that the boy disappeared into the crowd.

"Anyways," Yuan said, looking back to Carter, "Are you saying I couldn't get a girls number if I wanted?" He asked accusingly. "I bet I could get the number of the first girl I talk to!"

"I don't think that's the best idea." Carter responded. But Yuan had already left, and was currently walking towards a Faunas girl by one of the windows. She had long, red-orange hair with a pair of fox ears poking out. She wore a green tank top with brown shorts, and had a brown band on her arm with a paw-like symbol on it. A black hooked whip and a red splotched pistol with a small blade on its handle hung at her side.

"Hey there," Yuan said, leaning up against the wall beside her.

"Hello?" The girl responded, raising her eyebrow at the boy.

"I like your ears," Yuan said, smiling.

"Thanks..." The Faunus responded, clearly annoyed with the boy. Carter was just far enough away to hear the conversation; he silently face palmed and shook his head.

"So, you got a name, Foxy?" Yuan asked.

The girls ears flicked back in annoyance at the nickname, but she answered anyway. "Rowan. Rowan Cameleo."

"Cool name!" Yan said, smiling. "Mine's Yuan."

"That's nice." The Faunus responded, looking back out the window.

Yuan persisted, "So, your a Beacon student right? Well so am I! We have a lot in common! You've got cool ears, I like cool ears," The girls' fox ears were now flat on her head in annoyance. "I fight Grimm, you fight Grimm. So how about you and I go out sometime?"

"I don't think that's going to work." The Faunus said.

"Why not?" Yuan asked, his smile fading.

"Because, I'm sure your a relatively nice person, but I'm not interested." The girl said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go." And she turned and walked away.

Yuan walked back to Carter, shoulders sagged. "That went well," Carter said, trying to suppress a smile.

"Second girl." The blonde boy said. "I bet I could get the second girls' number I talk to."

"I don't think your gonna get any other-" Carter began, but Yuan had already left once again. The girl he was walking towards had long black hair and colorful, glittery clothing. She had tall high heeled boots and was texting rapidly on a Scroll in her hands.

"Hey there," Yuan said, leaning up against the wall beside the girl exactly as he had done with Rowan.

The raven haired girl didn't respond, as she was too busy texting. She didn't even seem to notice the boy.

"Umm, hello?" Yuan tried again, waving his hand in front of the girls' Scroll.

The girl blinked in surprise and stopped texting long enough to look up. "Hmm? Oh, hey! I didn't see you there!" she said.

Yuan waved his hand dismissively "Naw, it's fine. I-"

"OMG!" The girl exclaimed suddenly, cutting Yuan off. "Are you going to Beacon too?"

"Why, yes I am." Yuan said, smiling. "I'm actually one of the best-"

"Omygosh! You HAVE to take a selfie with me!" She said, flailing her Scroll.

"Umm, okay?" Yuan said before being dragged next to the girl as she took a picture of herself and the boy.

"Perfect!" She said after looking at the picture. "What do you think?" The girl asked, showing the Scroll to Yuan.

The blonde boy tried to hide his grimace, and barely glanced at the picture before speaking. "It's great! As I was saying-"

"Oh! I know!" The girl said, interrupting Yuan once more. "Lets trade Scroll numbers so we can keep in touch!"

"Umm, sure, sounds great," Yuan responded, pulling out his Scroll. His model appeared older, and had a large crack on its screen.

"My name's Veronica by the way," the girl babbled on as she touched her Scroll to Yuan's. The machines flashed and beeped at the contact, and automatically registered each other. "Bye-bye!" she said, before turning back to the window and texting on her Scroll once more.

"Uh, bye, I guess." Yuan said, but the girl had stopped noticing him. The boy turned and walked back to Carter, smirking as he walked. "Told you I could get it," He said to Carter as he showed the number on his Scroll.

"I'm not sure if that counts," Carter said.

"Why not?" Yuan asked.

"Because I'm pretty sure she's been doing that with everyone." Carter said, pointing back to Veronica. She was currently trading numbers with a dark haired boy.

"Damn." Yuan said, his shoulders slumping.

"Maybe next time," Carter assured as he patted his friend on the back.

Suddenly a voice spoke directly behind the boys, "Pardon me, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Perhaps I can be of assistance?" Both turned to see a tall boy standing behind them. He wore a light grey coat with a fur collar and leather gloves. He had silvery hair with a small curl, and a folded-up halberd on his back.

"Umm, who are you?" Yuan asked.

"Ah, of course! I forgot to introduce myself! William Berry, at your service," the boy said with a deep bow. "Writer and hunter in training extraordinaire!"

"Nice to meet you," Carter said. "I'm Carter and this is-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Yuan interrupted. "You can help me? How?"

Carter threw Yuan an annoyed glance as William responded. "I just so happen to be an expert on romance. You may have read some of my books, such as 'Dust to Love' or 'The Princess and the Hunter' or perhaps 'Beauty and the Beowolf', just to name a few"

"Never heard of em,'" Yuan said.

"Yes, most people haven't," William said, sighing. "I've been looking for the perfect story, and I thought perhaps becoming a hunter might inspire me!" he said, perking up a bit.

Yuan scratched his chin in thought "Well, I'm already an expert on girls," He said, causing Carter to roll his eyes. "So it's not like you can give me any advice... but you did say you were a writer..." Suddenly his eyes lit up as an idea struck him.

"Uh-oh." Carter said. "I know that look. What are you plotting?"

"Plotting? I don't know what your talking about." Yuan said, indignantly. "All I've done is found my new wingman!" he announced, throwing his arm over William's shoulder.

"I beg your pardon?" William asked, confused.

"Alright, here's the way I see it." Yuan started. "You need to find a new story, and I need to get a girlfriend, so the clear thing to do is to work together!"

"I'm not sure I follow," William said.

"I'll break it down for you," Yuan said. "You're a writer, and you write romance novels and all that, right?" William nodded. "Well, chicks dig all that mushy romance stuff, so with my natural charm and your books, I'll land a date in no time!"

"That sounds fine, but if I may ask, what do I stand to gain in all this?" William asked.

"I'm glad you asked!" Yuan replied. He seemed to be on a roll. "What better way to write the perfect romance story, than to be in a romance yourself!"

William's eyes lit up as well, "Yes, I can see it now! This will make for a perfect novel! When shall we start?" he asked.

"There's no time like the present!" Yuan said enthusiastically, and the two turned and walked off towards the collection of students.

Carter was left to shake his head in disbelief at the events that had taken place before him. "This ought to be good." He said as he watched the pair of boys search for their targets.

He saw Yuan point to two girls talking to each other towards the back of the ship. One of them was muscular, and wore metal armor on her arms, legs, and chest. She had short, blonde hair and wore a tan combat skirt. The second girl appeared much shorter, but Carter couldn't tell as she was out of view behind the first. As he moved closer to hear the conversation, the girl came into view, and he recognized her almost instantly. Sam Ambero, a famous prodigy, and winner of the minstrel region three years in a row, a new record. He had only caught glimpses of her occasionally on the news, which he rarely watched, so this was the only time he had ever really seen her. And as soon as he laid eyes on her, he instantly fell for her.

Yuan leaned up against the wall next to the girls, William standing beside him. "Hello ladies." The blonde boy said.

"Umm, hello." The girl in armor said, looking to the two boys curiously. "Can we help you?"

"Why yes, actually, you can!" Yuan said. "The name's Yuan. And you may already know this fine gentleman," he said, motioning to William.

"William Berry, at your service." The silver haired boy said a he bowed.

"And what might your names be?" Yuan asked.

"Tiffany Blue." The blonde girl in armor said.

"I'm Sam. Sam Ambero." The shorter girl said.

Williams' eyes widened while Yuan remained clueless. "Wait, THE Sam Ambero?" The the silver haired boy said in surprise. "I had no idea a celebrity such as yourself would be attending Beacon!"

"Whoa whoa, slow down," Yuan said. "You're a celebrity?"

"I suppose," Sam said.

"Well I just so happen to be pretty famous myself." Yuan said, flexing one of his arms.

"Really?" Sam said, eyebrow raised.

"Yes, really." Yuan said. "So, considering we're both famous, I figure we should hang out. How does Friday night sound, shorty?"

Sam's entire body tensed up at the pet name. "What did you just call me?" She said through gritted teeth.

"Shorty." Yuan said, completely oblivious. "Ya know, 'cause your so sho-"

Sam grabbed him by the color and wrenched him down to her face level, which was quite a distance considering the height difference. "Don't. Ever. Call. Me. Short." She said furiously. "Understand?" Yuan nodded fearfully, his confident demeanor completely gone.

Meanwhile William was having his own troubles. "So, my dear," he said to Tiffany as Yuan and Sam began to talk. "Have you perhaps read any of my books?"

"Something tells me I haven't." She responded.

"Well perhaps you've heard of them then! Some of my most famous works include 'The Huntress and the Pea' and 'The Dusty Road to Beacon'"

"Never heard of em," Tiffany said. "Well then my dear, today is your lucky day!" William said exuberantly.

"Stop calling me that," Tiffany said, arms crossed in annoyance. "And _how_ is it my lucky day?"

"Well," William began, "how better to become aquatinted with my work than to be part of it yourself! You see, my dear, I'm particularly known for my romantic stories and poems, but I am without any romance myself! A tragedy, I know, but one not without hope! You, my dear, could be my new inspiration! What would you say to that?"

"I would say...no."

"N-no?" William stammered, surprised. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I just don't like romance. And to be perfectly honest, you're kinda creeping me out a bit," she said, before turning away from the dumbstruck writer. Sam was just finishing up with Yuan as she spoke. "C'mon Sam, lets go. The ship's going to land soon."

"Gladly." Sam said as she released Yuan and stormed after Tiffany. Carter walked over to the boys. "That was...interesting," he remarked.

"Shut up." Yuan said, rubbing his neck. "How was I supposed to know she would freak out at me?"

William was still standing where Tiffany had left him, the same lost look on his face. "This...this _feeling_..."

"It's called rejection," Yuan said. "You'll get used to it."

"Rejection..." William said slowly. "I've never felt this way before... this burning in my heart... I... I love it!" He said, suddenly exited. "So emotional! Such pain in my heart! I've done it! I've finally found my inspiration! I must begin right away!" And he pulled out a small notebook and began scribbling frantically into it.

Carter and Yuan looked at each other with eyebrows raised. "There goes your new wingman," Carter said.

"Nah, it would have never worked out anyway." Yuan said.

Suddenly a small hologram of a woman wearing purple clothing and glasses appeared on the windows and spoke. "Hello, and welcome to Beacon! My name is Glynda Goodwitch."

"Totally prerecorded," Yuan whispered to Carter.

"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy!" The hologram continued. "Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." The hologram disappeared, clearing the window. Carter now saw how far the airship had traveled, and he saw Beacon Academy at the top of a huge cliff, with small waterfalls cascading down to the water below.

"Hey," Carter said, tapping William on the shoulder. "Airship's about to land."

"Hmm? Ah yes!" The writer said, snapping the notebook shut. "I must go to find her once more!"

"Who, Tiffany? She rejected you, remember?" Yuan said.

"Yes, I do!" William said. "But that is why I must find her! She has made me feel like I never have before! Her eyes sparkle like stars, yet they bored into my soul like drills! I must go!" And he hurried of towards the exit of the ship as it began to slow. The other students also began to travel towards the exit, and finally the ship came to a stop next to the round platform.

"Bored like drills? What's that supposed to mean?" Yuan questioned.

"And I thought you were bad." Carter chuckled as he began to walk towards the exit.

"Oh, shut up." Yuan said as he joined him.

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_


	7. Chapter 3: Collectors Cards

_Here's chapter three! Sorry its going out a little late, Enjoy!_

* * *

The many students bustled out of the docked airship onto the circular platform as the doors opened. Carter and Yuan walked over the ramp onto the crowded walkway leading up to Beacon.

Yuan gave a low whistle. "Man, check out that view." He said, looking to the huge academy.

"Yeah, its amazing." Carter said, but other than that he was lost for words.

"Can you believe we made it though?" Yuan said as the two began the walk down the long path leading up to the academy. "It feels like just yesterday we were in primary school together."

"Dreaming of becoming hunters," Carter said. "Those were the good old days." The academy continued to grow in size as the boys approached, then they came upon a peculiar sight.

"Hey, look. It's that guy again." Yuan said, pointing. Indeed, the boy that they had seen earlier dancing at the Vale docks was there on the side of the path, a blaring radio beside him as he danced. A small crowd of Beacon students had gathered around him, including...

"Oliver!" Carter called.

"Ah, hey mates!" Oliver said, turning to the two boys as they approached. "Come to see the performance?" It was then that they also saw the Faunus standing beside Oliver, who had turned to see them as well.

"Oh, umm, hello... Your name was Rowan, right?" Yuan said. The girls fox ears flicked in annoyance as she saw the boy.

"Yes. And you said your name was Yuan, if I'm correct?"

"Yeah..." Yuan said, trying not to look the girl in the eyes.

"So, how do you two know each other?" Carter asked Oliver, trying to ease the tension.

"We just met on the ship actually," the boy replied. "She said she was looking for someone decent to talk to her after some guy hit in her, so I happily obliged."

"Ah," Carter said, glancing to Yuan, who was whistling nonchalantly.

"And how did you two become acquainted?" Oliver asked Yuan.

"Umm," Yuan said, scratching the back of his neck. "We met on the ship too... but that's about it," he finished, glancing at Rowan, who had her eyebrow raised.

"Excellent! Well I'm glad we all know each other then!" Oliver said. The small crowd around the dancing boy had begun to disperse, as he was currently packing up.

"We better get moving." Carter said, "I think we're supposed to be meeting up somewhere."

"Hold up one sec," Yuan said. "I wanna meet this guy." And he walked over to the dancer. "Hey, those were some pretty sick moves."

"Thanks bro!" The tan boy responded in a surfer-like accent. "And a few extra lien you got would be appreciated! Gotta make a livin', am I right?" he said, holding out a hat.

"Uhh," Yuan check his pockets, but came up with nothing.

"Here," A voice said, and a boy who had left the crowd dropped a few lien into the hat. He had brown hair and wore a blue hoodie, with a sheath of black arrows resting on his back. "I'll pitch in."

"Thanks dude!" The dancer said, while Yuan looked relieved. The boy in the hoodie nodded and started walking towards Beacon. "Hey, wait up bro!" The tan boy said, picking up his radio and running up beside him. "You got a name, man?"

The brown haired boy turned to the dancer. "Its Norem."

"Cool, mine's Chad!" The tan boy said. "Hey, could I hang with you bro? I get lost a lot."

"Sure" Norem said, shrugging.

"Awesome bro! Lets go!" Chad said, pressing play on his radio and slinging it over his shoulder so that it blared around him.

"Could you turn that down a bit?" Norem asked as he began to walk.

"Sure thing bro." Chad said, turning down the volume a bit, but the music could still be heard as they walked away.

"We better get going too," Carter said. "I think the ceremony is about to begin." And he and Yuan along with Oliver and Rowan continued down the path. They passed through the courtyard, with a large statue of a huntress and a hunter at its center. Trees lined the path, along with small man-made ponds. They followed some of the other students to the huge circular amphitheater, its giant doors open to the students bustling inside.

"Is it just me, or is everything here either ridiculously huge or ridiculously fancy?" Yuan said, marveling at the buildings.

"No, I noticed it too." Carter responded, looking around as they passed through into the amphitheater. Oliver and Rowan simply nodded in agreement as they looked around in amazement.

The large building was packed with students; all of the seats in the stands above them were taken, leaving only the area in front of the stage to stand. As they continued towards an open space in the crowed, Carter was too busy looking at the holographic displays above the stage to notice the Faunus boy he walked into.

"Oh, sorry about that." Carter said, righting himself and looking at the boy who had fallen to the ground. It was then that he realized that it was the same Faunus who had bumped into him earlier at the airship docks. "Here," and he held out his hand to help the boy up.

But the Faunus just slapped the hand away and got to his feet on his own. "I don't need your help," he growled.

"Hey, I said I was sorry," Carter said, eyebrows furrowing. "What more do you want?"

The Faunus took a step forwards as if to attack Carter, but was stopped abruptly at the sound of a clearing throat at the microphone. The students turned to see the headmaster of Beacon, Ozpin, standing at the microphone. Glynda Goodwitch also stood on the stage beside the man.

"Welcome." The headmaster began. "You have all worked and trained your entire life to protect this world from those that would do it harm. In this school you hope to learn new skills, or perhaps strengthen the ones you already have. Each of you have a story to tell, and while you are here, it may be considered a 'new chapter' in your life, if you will. And in this chapter, you will either become a step up above the rest, or fall below to start again. In the end, it is up to you to choose."

After finishing his speech Ozpin turned and walked off the stage, and Glynda walked up to the mic. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight, and will find your luggage from the ship in the lockers at the armory. Your locker number and combination have been sent to your Scrolls. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." The students began to mill about once more, leaving the building.

Carter looked around after the women had finished speaking, but the Faunus boy had disappeared.

"So that was the famous Ozpin." Oliver said.

"Seems like a pretty cryptic guy." Yuan said, pulling out his Scroll and checking the locker number sent by the Academy. "C'mon, I want to got get some of my stuff." And the group of four left the amphitheater and headed towards the armory, via a map sent by the Academy on their Scrolls.

* * *

As they entered the armory, they saw that it appeared more as a locker room. Lockers stood around the edge of the rooms, and benches stood alongside the pillars that held up the roof. "What's your guys's locker numbers?" Carter asked, taking out his Scroll.

"I got number..." Yuan began, checking his Scroll. "238."

Carter brought up the message from the school. "Cool, I've got 237!"

"Looks like I'm pretty close as well mates." Oliver said, his Scroll in hand. "How 'bout you Rowan?"

"I'm pretty far away." She said, looking at the device in her hand. "I gotta go get some of my stuff anyways, so I'll see you around."

"Later!" Oliver said, waving to the Faunus leaving the boys. As the three of them found the way to their lockers, Oliver turned to Yuan. "So what did you say earlier about cards? Kyla had them, right?"

"Yeah, here." Yuan said, entering the combination and opening his locker. "Wow, these things are roomy," he said as he rummaged through the locker until finally bringing out a small leather binder. "Check this out." And he opened the binder to reveal pages upon pages of trading cards. Some of the cards had weapons, others had different types of Grimm, while more had famous hunters on them.

"Wow, look at em all." Oliver said. "You sure collect a lot. How many do you have?"

"Just a couple hundred in this book, but I've got another few binders at home." Yuan responded, flipping through the pages. "Here, I'll show you some." And he pulled out a few cards from the book. "These are some of my favorites. The most famous hunters get their own cards made after them, like Summer Rose," Yuan held up a card with a white cloaked figure. "She's got insane attack power. I've also got Dijon Ambero," he said, bringing up another card.

"Wait, like Sam Ambero?" Carter asked.

"Ohhhhh" Yuan said, realization dawning on his eyes. "I knew I heard her name somewhere. I just couldn't remember!" Carter rolled his eyes as his friend continued. "Those two we saw earlier, Ozpin and Goodwitch; each have their own cards as well." He then pulled out a collection of cards, all the hunters on them appearing related through short blond hair. "I've even got the entire Arc lineage, though it took me forever to collect the whole set. All of them have a massive health boost." He put the cards away as he explained them, until only one remained. "This one's my favorite. He's got some of the most insane stats, and even has this special ability to one-shot any Grimm!" And he showed the boys the last card in his hand. The man on it was rather burly, but he wasn't nearly as burly as his grey mustache. At the top of the card was the title 'Peter Port'.

"Isn't he one of our professors?" Oliver asked.

"What?!" Yuan exclaimed, suddenly excited. "Is he? Do you think he would autograph my golden series card?"

"I don't know, maybe." Carter responded.

"I bet he tells the greatest war stories!" Yuan said. "I've got like fifteen of his cards!" He was too exited to notice the two teens walking up behind him. Carter on the other hand saw them coming, and looked over to them. The first of the boys was tall, and his right arm and leg where armored. He wore a purple jacket under the armor, with similar color hair, and he had dark grey eyes. The second boy was dressed all in black, from his trench coat to his jeans. Even his messy hair was black, and he wore rimless glasses over his blue eyes.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" The first boy asked, snatching the binder from Yuan's grasp. "Are you losers actually playing this stupid card game?"

"Hey!" Yuan exclaimed, spinning around to face the boy. "Give it back!"

"Why don't you take it from me?" The boy asked, smiling. The boy beside him smirked as well.

Yuan took a step forwards, but was stopped as Carter put a hand on his shoulder. "We don't want any trouble." Carter said.

"Speak for yourself." Yuan said, shrugging the hand off.

"If you wanted it that badly, you should've just asked." The first boy said, dropping the binder to the ground, but not before pulling one of the cards from the book. "Names Emmet, by the way. This is Nyte." He gestured to the boy at his side. "I didn't expect to see weaklings like you make it into this school." He said, looking back to the boys.

"Wouldn't have thought jerks like you made it either." Yuan said coldly as he picked up his binder.

Emmet's eyes narrowed. "I'm the best this school has ever seen, so don't try and act all tough. I won't hesitate to beat you down." He turned and began walking away, but stopped. "Oh, here's your card back." And his hand glowed faint purple before a small bolt of electricity surged through the card, burning it to ash. Emmet dropped the flakes as he and Nyte walked away laughing.

"I could have taken him." Yuan said angrily as he dusted off the binder.

"And you would only have gotten in trouble." Carter said.

"Yeah, don't let him get to ya, mate." Oliver said. "We better get our stuff, its gonna get late soon." He said, checking the time. The boys grabbed their sleeping gear and stowed their weapons into their lockers before heading to the ballroom.

The large room was packed with students and sleeping-bags, leaving barely enough room for the boys to find a space of their own. As Carter set up for the night, he saw many of the students he had met earlier. Kyla and Opal where setting out sleeping-bags at the other end of the hall, the latter waving frantically at Carter. As he waved back, he saw Chad with headphones, probably listening to music, and Norem looking happy not to have to listen to it. Towards the stairs Rowan and Sam were talking as they lay on the floor among the other students. Then Carter saw two more students, one appearing to try and escape from the other.

"But, you are my inspiration my dear!" William said, wearing pajamas with little pens and books on them.

"Okay, two things." Tiffany said, hopping over another student as evaded the writer. "One, stop following me. And two, stop calling me that!"

"But we're going to be part of the best romantic tale since Romeo and Juliet!" William said.

"What's with him?" Oliver asked, motioning toward the pair.

"We have no idea." Yuan replied as he wriggled into his sleeping-bag. Oliver shrugged and got into bed as well, and soon Carter did the same. It had been a long day, and he was soon drifting of into sleep, unaware of how his life was about to change.

* * *

_Note: next chapter might be a bit short, just as a warning._

_thanks for reading!_


	8. Chapter 4: Next Chapter to Life part 1

_Hey guys, so I apologize in advance, this chapter is very short. Which is why I'm posting it a day early to try and make up for it! Next chapter is still Wednesday, though it will be the start of some long awaited action! Enjoy!_

* * *

Beams of morning sunlight shone through the windows of Beacons ballroom as the day began. One of these light beams passed over Carter's closed eyes, waking him from sleep. He sat up, stretching and blinking sleep out of his eyes. He looked around to see other students already up and moving around, readying for the day. Oliver was nowhere to be seen, apparently already awake. Yuan on the other hand was still sleeping nearby, a trickle of drool running from his open mouth.

Carter stood and silently packed his things, trying not to wake his friend. With his sleeping bag rolled up he left the ballroom and took a much needed shower, washing all the dust and sand from his journey to Vale. After getting dressed he left for the dining hall, only to find Oliver and Rowan sitting at one of the tables. "Morning," Carter greeted as he sat opposite the two, who had cups of coffee in front of them.

"G'day" Oliver said, tipping his hat before he took a sip of his drink. "Where's Yuan?"

"Still sleeping" Carter responded. "Hey, umm, where did you..." He pointed to the coffee in Oliver's hand.

Oliver chuckled before motioning towards a buffet at the back of the room, on which a variety of breakfast foods was being served, including fresh hot coffee. "I'd be much obliged if ya could grab me some food mate." Oliver requested.

"Sure," Carter replied as he left the table. Beacon clearly had quite a few skilled chefs working there, and Carter stacked a tray full of a little bit of everything. Eggs, bacon, buttered toast, and pancakes where just a few of the delicious looking foods. Carter also grabbed two coffees, the extra for when Yuan awoke. As he turned and began heading back to the table however, he stopped dead in his tracks. Sam sat at the table, chatting with Rowan. "_Get ahold of yourself._" Carter thought. "_Just be cool_." And he continued to the table. "Breakfast is served!" He said, putting the tray down.

"Thanks mate!" Oliver said, taking some toast from the pile. Rowan nodded her thanks as well, taking an apple and biting into it.

"Thanks. I don't believe we've met," Sam said, holding out her hand. "I'm Sam."

Carter stuttered for a moment, "I... Ummm... I'm Carter..." He finally said, shaking the girls hand.

"Man, I'm starving!" Sam said, enthusiastically snatching up a few pancakes and pilling them onto her plate.

Carter continued to eat, until he heard a voice behind him. "Mornin',"Yuan grumbled, still half asleep.

"Welcome back the land of th' livin' mate!" Oliver said. Yuan sat next to Carter before being handed his coffee. He mumbled his thanks as he took a drink, and he seemed to wake up a little.

At last his eyesight cleared, and he finally saw Sam sitting across from him, eyebrow raised. "Aaaah!" The blond boy exclaimed as he fell backwards, trying to scramble away from the girl. A small smile flashed across Sam's face before she regained her composure.

"Here, c'mon," Carter said as he helped Yuan up. The blonde boy sat back at the table, this time farther away from Sam.

Oliver chuckled, "She won't bite mate."

"No promises," Sam said, taking a hefty bite out of an apple and smirking. Yuan made a noise that sounded like a mouse being stepped on and hid behind Carter. Soon the rest of the students had entered the dinning hall, including Tiffany, who looked well rested and rather chipper. She took a seat next to Sam and gladly took some offered food. "Where's that guy that kept following you?" Sam asked after looking around.

"Who, the creep?" Tiffany asked. "I locked him in a closet."

"This morning?" Carter asked.

"Last night." Tiffany responded. "It was actually quite easy."

"Arn't you gonna let him go?" Oliver asked.

"Oh, I will," The girl replied, a slightly evil look crossing her face. "After initiation." When the group finished breakfast, they left the dining hall and headed for the armory.

As the six students walked through the halls however, they came across a closed closet, and by the sounds of it someone was banging on the door from the inside. "Is that..." Carter turned to Tiffany.

"I say leave him." She said, continuing down the hallway.

Rowan and Sam continued as well, evidently not wanting to deal with William. "We'll meet up with you later," Rowan called as they turned a corner.

Oliver turned and opened the door, and William spilled out of it. The writer dusted himself off as he stood up. "Thank you so much my friends! You have no idea how difficult it is to get a good nights sleep in a closet." Carter looked behind William to see a poorly made bed fashioned out of mops and towels. "Have you by any chance seen the lovely Tiffany recently?" he asked.

"You just missed her." Yuan said, motioning down the hallway.

"Then I must be after her!" William exclaimed, starting down the hall.

"I don't think thats the best idea mate," Oliver warned.

"Love is no idea my friend! It is a feeling from the depths of the heart!" The writer called as he made it to the end of the hallway. "Which way did you say she went?" He asked.

"That way," Yuan said, pointing to the exact opposite direction the girls had gone.

"Then that way I go!" William said, running down the hallway, still in his pajamas.

Carter, Yuan, and Oliver finally found their way to the armory. As Carter made his way to his locker, he saw the the one directly next to it was being used by none other than the cheetah Faunus from before. Carter sighed. "Great. Just great," he mumbled.

The Faunus clearly heard him, and turned growling. "What do you want?"

"Just getting my stuff," Carter responded, moving past the boy to his locker.

Realization dawned on the Faunus as he saw how close the lockers were, and he growled again. "Don't get in my way," he warned as he slammed his locker and stalked off.

"I really don't like that guy," Yuan said, retrieving his weapon from his own locker.

"Maybe he's got a reason for his anger," Oliver said, holstering his boomerangs at his side. "Could have personal troubles."

"Maybe," Carter said, thinking. He had no intention of getting on the Faunus's bad side, and if the boy did have anger issues he would gladly keep his distance.

His thoughts were interrupted as a voice blared over the speakers above their heads. "All first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation. Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

"C'mon, let's get a move on," Oliver said.

"This is gonna be awesome!" Yuan exclaimed as Carter retrieved his pistols. After the three boys were ready, they headed off towards the cliffs outside the academy.

* * *

Wind howled at the top of the cliffs that overlooked the forest below. Most of the sky was blue except for a few dark clouds. The first year students all stood in a line at the edge of the huge drop off, each standing on a square silver platform. In front of the students stood Ozpin, along with Glynda Goodwitch. The headmaster took a sip of his drink before he began. "For many years you have trained to become hunters, and today, your abilities will be tested in the Emerald Forest."

"Today each of you will be given teammates," Glynda Goodwitch said.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," Ozpin continued. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone whom you can cooperate with." A few of the students looked to each other, including Carter and Yuan. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." There were a few surprised murmurs; the students were clearly not expecting this. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the eastern end of the forest. On your way you will find that this forest contains far more than just trees and shrubs, so make sure to be on your guard, or you will die." Wind continued to howl as the headmaster continued. "You will be monitored and graded throughout the initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple containing several relics, and each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item to the best of your ability, and be graded appropriately. Are there any questions?"

No hands were raised. "That's a first." Glynda muttered, working on her scroll.

"Good! Now, take your positions," Ozpin instructed.

The students readied themselves. Sam had her shield out and looked determinedly out into the forest. Opal was jumping up and down in excitement, while Kyla tried to calm her down. William was busy writing something in his journal. Rowan glanced around in anticipation. Emmet looked almost bored, acting like had hadn't even heard the instructions. Norem was silently crouched, ready to begin. Chad, on the other hand, was dancing on top of his platform excitedly. Carter was towards the beginning of the platforms, and saw Tiffany get launched into the sky towards the forest.

Oliver was next, and he tipped his hat to Carter. "Good luck mate!" He called, as he was launched off as well.

"Woohoo!" Yuan shouted as his platform shot him into the sky. Carter was next, he could feel the springs loading under him one second, and then the next he was jettisoned into the air, flying through the sky. The initiation had begun.

* * *

_Thanks for reading, see you next chapter!_


	9. Chapter 5: Next Chapter to Life part 2

_Here's the next chapter! It's been awhile since I've written any action sequences, so I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Enjoy! _

* * *

Wind howled over the treetops of the Emerald Forest, rustling the leaves and scattering them onto the wind. A small bird was perched on one of the highest branches of the trees, watching as the sun hung in the sky. Then something caught the birds attention, and it looked to see a few dozen dots approaching from the sky. As the dots grew the bird saw they each where different colors, and as they grew closer still they appeared to take form. The bird screeched and fluttered away as it finally saw the students rocketing towards the treetops.

As Carter neared the ground the wind was rushing around him and his heart was racing. He tucked his legs under himself and activated his semblance as he reached the treetops. His body glowed green and he became like a statue barreling towards the forest. He smashed through branches and entire trees until he impacted onto the ground, bounced once, twice, then skidded to a stop.

The boy deactivated his semblance and stood up, dusting himself off. He had left a large gouge in the ground where he landed, and a swath of downed trees showed the path of his arrival. Overhead he heard more students flying above him, and he ran off into the forest depths.

* * *

Above the trees Rowan fell towards the ground, a few other students flying along as well. She saw a tree as she neared the ground, and unhooked her whip from her side. As she got to the tree she swung the hooked end Into one of the branches, latching onto it. Still holding on, the whip tugged and wrapped around the branch until it reached its end, with the Faunus landing onto the brach with ease. She quickly unwrapped her weapon from the branch before jumping into the treetops.

As she dashed through the thick overgrowth and dodged around the trees, she heard more students around her in the forest with her fox ears. She stopped when she heard another voice that was rapidly approaching, and by the sounds of it the voice sounded quite joyful. Suddenly Rowan jumped back as someone crashed through the branches exclaiming "Yeee Haww!" And continued to the ground. A familiar looking hat was caught on the branches at the hole in the trees, and Rowan grabbed it as she made her way to the forest floor. Oliver was dusting off the leaves and twigs stuck to him as the Faunus landed a short distance behind him. He turned to face the girl, smiling, "G'day!"

"You dropped something." Rowan said, smiling as well as she tossed the hat to the boy.

"Thanks," Oliver said, fixing the hat onto his head. The sounds of more students could be heard around them. "We best get going then!" Oliver said. Rowan nodded, and the two hurried off into the forest.

* * *

This was it. Yuan was ready. He was going to become a hunter, and help his family repair the shop. All he had to do was land, it was too easy. In fact, he already had the perfect dust crystal to use at a time like this. Sword in hand Yuan reached into his leather bag for the- "Wait, what?" Yuan said, checking the bag again. It was gone. The air crystal was gone. Now the boy began to panic. "No no no!" He said as he began to near the ground. He thoroughly checked his leather bag and began pulling out crystals. A purple crystal, "No." A red crystal, "Definitely not." He tossed the crystal behind him, sending a gout of flame into the trees. He pulled out a blue crystal next. Then an idea struck him as he saw a small pond approaching. He was almost touching the treetops now as he put the blue crystal into the sword. He transformed his weapon into the staff form and activated his semblance. The blue crystal glowed in the staff as he neared the pond. He swung the staff upwards, and a torrent of water erupted from the pond, catching the boy and cushioning his fall. Yuan fell downwards into the body of water with a splash. "_I guess that counts as an easy landing_" he thought before swimming back to the surface.

* * *

The small bird from the treetops had fluttered down onto one of the rare large boulders that scattered the forest. It was currently preening itself, unaware of the danger rapidly approaching. It barely had time to screech and flee its perch once again as a short glowing girl smashed through the boulder, shattering the rock. Sam stood up and looked around, shield in hand. She deactivated her semblance as she hurried to a tall tree and climbed up it, landing on a limb that overlooked the forest around her. A small pond was nearby, and she saw more students descending into the forest. She surveyed the students until she found who she was looking for. There was Tiffany, nearing the treetops. If Ozpin wanted partners, then Sam had to get to her. Fast. She tracked the girls descent to where she would land; that is until something, or someone, smashed into Tiffany, exclaiming "Greetings my dear!" And both spiraled into the forest below.

Sam let out a frustrated sigh as she turned and angrily slid back down the tree. She was so angry in fact that she didn't notice the soaking wet boy at the bottom of the tree, and she smashed into him, sending them both to the ground. "Aww c'mon! First the pond and now this?" Yuan said, picking himself up off the dirt. He turned to see who had bumped into him "Hey, are you alrig-" He stopped as he locked eyes with Sam, trapping him in a partnership with the girl for the next four years.

"You..." Sam said, becoming furious. "You!"

"Wait! Let's talk about this!" Yuan said, backing away from the furious girl. "Please don't kill meeee!" And he turned and ran away into the forest, followed closely by Sam.

"Don't worry!" Sam called. "I'm not gonna kill you, you'll just wish I had!"

* * *

Tiffany shook her head as she stood up, dizzy from the fall. "What was that?" She asked as she looked around the small clearing where she had landed. She stopped when she met eyes with the tall silver haired boy that had caused her fall.

"Hello darling!" William said, hopping off from the log he had been sitting on. "Did you sleep well? No nightmares I hope."

"I think I'm having one right now." The girl muttered. "And don't call me darling."

"Yes yes of course my dear." William said, walking over to her. "Now that you're awake we can-"

"Don't call me dear either." Tiffany interrupted, becoming more angry with the boy.

William waved her off as he spoke again. "That is hardly the point right-"

"And another thing!" The girl continued. "You messed up my landing and nearly got us killed!"

The writer tried to calm Tiffany down. "My dear, what you fail to realize-"

"Stop calling me that!" The girl said furiously.

"If you would stop for a moment my dear you would realize that we've become surrounded." William said calmly, stopping Tiffany.

"What?!" She asked, looking around. Indeed, she could see pairs of red eyes moving among the shadows on all sides. "Why didn't you say anything?!"

"Actually, I did try and warn you of the danger." William said, taking out and unfolding his halberd.

"I really hate you." Tiffany said as she drew her own weapon. She held a huge double bladed axe, with gold trimming the handle and blades. The two stood back to back as the creatures revealed themselves to be a small pack of Beowolves.

"How many do you believe there are?" William asked.

"It's too small to be a full pack. There must be more nearby." Tiffany said. "Just stay out of my way."

"Being the gentlemen I am, I shall let you make the first move." The boy said as the Grimm prepared to attack

"How generous." Tiffany said sarcastically as one of the creatures lunged at her. She let out a battle cry as she swung at the wolf, beheading it. Another Grimm struck out at William, but he parried strike and impaled the creature. The students stood their ground as more Grimm attacked, but the creatures were defeated easily. As Tiffany dealt a fatal blow to yet another Beowolf, the remaining creatures turned tail and fled back into the darkness.

"That was rather easy" William said, twirling his weapon and observing their handiwork.

"Like I said, there's bound to be more." Tiffany said, sheathing her axe onto her back. "We need to move, so try and keep up." And without waiting for the boy, she hurried off deeper into the forest.

"But of course." William said, folding up his weapon and following the girl.

* * *

Kyla walked through the forest, picking twigs out of her hair from her landing. She hadn't found anyone else, and was just about to call out until she heard something coming from her left. She readied her weapon as a Beowolf burst from from the bushes ahead of her. But instead of attacking, the creature continued past her into the bushes at her right. The girl looked after it curiously until she heard a whimpering and explosion from where the creature had run to. Then Opal skipped out of the bushes from where the noise had come from. She stopped and waved at Kyla, "Hey sis!"

Kyla let out a sigh as she sheathed her falchion. "Hey Opal."

The ponytailed girl skipped over to her sisters side. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Alright, alright." Kyla said, and the two walked off into the forest.

* * *

Sunlight shone in patches through the leaves onto a small clearing in the forest. All was quiet as Chad walked into the glade and looked around. The blue-haired boy couldn't hear anything as he observed the clearing, but he didn't need his ears to tell that something hid at the edge of the trees. He smiled as there was movement behind him, and jumped above the Ursa that charged out of the brush. He landed behind the Grimm as it turned to face him, and more of the creatures emerged around him. Chad clicked his metal boots together, and they both transformed. Clicks emitted from them as shotgun rounds clicked into place, and as the boy lifted his foot and stomped it to the ground, each boot loaded like a gun.

The Ursa in front of him roared and swiped at the boys head, but Chad easily ducked and fired his weapon, propelling his knee into the creatures stomach. He quickly kicked with his other boot, launching the creature back. He landed and turned to face the other two Grimm, laughing.

The Ursi charged headfirst at the dancer, but he rolled under them and landed in a handstand. The creatures turned to face him, but he spun on his hands whilst firing off rapidly with his boots, firing in all directions. Both Grimm were launched back onto the ground, their bodies smoking.

Chad flipped back onto his feet, admiring his work. He neglected to notice the first Grimm he had downed had gotten back onto his feet behind him. The boy turned just in time to see the creature bear down on him, until something smashed down onto the bear from the trees, knocking it back. Norem landed next to Chad, a grey staff in his hands. "Thanks dude!" Chad said.

"Don't mention it," Norem responded, twirling his staff as the Ursa stood up once more. Then growls behind them revealed more of the creatures running into the clearing. Chad turned to face the new creatures, while Norem prepared for the Ursa before them.

The Grimm slashed out with its claws, and Norem jumped and somersaulted over the creature. As he landed the boy struck out at the bear with his staff, angering it as it turned to face him once more. Norem swung his staff at the Ursa's head, cracking its mask and killing it.

As he stood above the dead Grimm Norem heard more of the creatures and saw three of the monsters charging towards him. With a flick of his wrist he transformed his staff, expanding it into a bow as he drew a arrow from his quiver. He knocked the weapon and took aim, deadly silent as the creatures neared. He released the arrow, and had another knocked and ready just as the first pierced one of the Ursa through the eye. The creature collapsed as another arrow killed the second Grimm. The third bear however was charging lower towards the ground, it's head down in protection. The black arrows bounced harmlessly off the creatures bone-like mask, until it was finally upon the boy. The Grimm head butted the boy, launching him back and knocking the weapon out of his hand.

The Ursa ran towards the disarmed boy, fully prepared to rip him to shreds. Norem crawled backwards away from the creature, but it was far faster than him. The bear stood on its hind legs above the boy, just as he activated his semblance. Norem glowed briefly before the light around him seemed to bend and he disappeared in the blink of an eye. The creature looked around in confusion and failed to notice the grey bow behind it suddenly seem to float into the air and a black arrow knock onto it. The Grimm turned towards the weapon just as the arrow fired, killing it. The creature collapsed as Norem materialized holding onto the bow.

"Duuuude!" Chad said, walking over to Norem after he finished up with his own opponents. "That was radical! Up high bro!" And he held out his hand for a high five.

Norem rolled his eyes before he clapped hands with the dancer. "Yeah, I guess it was."

"Let's go get that artifact!" Chad said, turning and heading off into the forest with Norem close behind.

* * *

Carter ran through the forest, jumping logs and weaving around trees. He was heading east just as instructed, though he had rarely seen a living thing since he landed. No Grimm, no other students, only the occasional woodland creature here and there.

He stopped by a fallen log to catch his breath, whilst pulling an old compass from his pocket. Checking its course he prepared to head out, until he heard a twig snap off in the bushes nearby. He stopped, deadly still and listening, but no other noise came. Carefully drawing his pistols Carter crept towards the bushes until he was right in front of them. With one swift motion he swept aside the brush and aimed his weapon, only to find a gun barrel inches from his nose. He saw the gun attached to a thick bracer, which in turn was worn by a Faunus. It was the same cheetah eared Faunus from before, who looked just as surprised as Carter to see him. Shock soon turned to anger however and the Faunus growled before turning away. Too little to late though, for their eyes had met, and they were partners.

"_Great_." Carter thought as the Faunus began to storm off. "_Just great._"

* * *

"The last pair has been made sir," Glynda said, tapping her Scroll as she stood atop the cliff beside Ozpin. "We haven't had a group quite like this in some time."

"Indeed" the headmaster responded before taking a sip from his coffee. He had a Scroll in his hand as well, and was thumbing through the pairs that had been made. Oliver and Rowan were traveling along the forest floor, fortunate enough to have not run into trouble yet. The same could be said for the two sisters Kyla and Opal, though the shorter of the two was clearly a handful on her own. Sam had managed to chase Yuan up a tree, and was currently in the process of knocking the huge oak down. The pairs of Chad and Norem along with Tiffany and William had already had their own encounters, but the latter pair wasn't quite out of trouble yet. And as Ozpin observed the last pair that had been made, he looked back up into the sky above the cliffs and forest. Dark clouds had begun to accumulate in the once clear day, and the wind had begun to pick up.

"It appears a storm is brewing." Glynda said, looking to the clouds as well.

Ozpin took another drink from his mug before responding. "Yes, in the sky," the headmaster looked back down onto his Scroll, which showed all the students. "And among our newcomers."

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_


	10. Chapter 6: The Storm part 1

_Longest chapter yet! Sorry that this ones out a little late, enjoy!_

* * *

Dark clouds hung in the sky over the Emerald forest, threatening to downpour onto the woodland below. Carter walked through the forest, keeping pace with the Faunus a few yards ahead. "Hey, wait for me!" Carter called for the umpteenth time.

As he usually did, the Faunus continued without hesitation. "Stop following me." He growled.

Carter's patience was beginning to thin. "What part of partners do you not get? I'm just as happy about it as you are, but if we're gonna pass this, we've got to work together." The boys entered a small clearing, its floor covered in tall grasses which swayed with the wind.

The Faunus stopped and turned to Carter. "I work alone." He said. "I don't need your help."

Carter stopped in front of the boy. "I'm not trying to force help on you. All I'm saying is-" he paused, seeing something in the corner of his eye. He turned quickly, but there was nothing there but the tall grass rustling in the breeze. Carter turned back to the Faunus, but the boy had already begun to walk away. "Hey, wait." He said.

The Faunus spun around. "What is it this time?!" He asked angrily. He neglected to see the huge shape rise out of the grass behind him, rearing to strike.

"Look out!" Carter yelled, pushing the Faunus aside as the King Taijitu lunged at them. The boys fell to the ground as the snakes head impacted where they had been standing, tearing up dirt and grass.

"Get off of me!" The Faunus said angrily, pushing Carter away and standing up. He extended the blades from his bracers as the Grimm turned to face them.

"A simple thanks would have been appreciated." Carter said, standing up as well and drawing his pistols. The King Taijitu hissed at the sight of weapons, and reared back to strike again. "Alright, I'll distract it, while you-" but the Faunus had already rushed ahead, striking at the snake. Carter sighed, and was about to join the fight until he heard a hissing behind him. He whirled around to see the second white head of the Grimm rearing itself to attack.

He fired at the creature as it lunged at him, forcing him to dodge to the side. Carter fired multiple shots as he moved around the creature, but they did nothing to the glimmering scales of the snake. He changed strategies as he dodged another attack, transforming his weapons into the twin broadswords. He held the blades in front of him as the Grimm hissed angrily, weaving around him to find an opening. It lunged, mouth agape at the boy. Carter jumped the attack and struck downwards, striking at the head of the snake. He landed and turned towards the creature once more as it shook its head. The Grimm spared no time as it lunged at him again; this time though he sidestepped the attack and sliced out at the snake. The creature reared up in pain as one of its fangs landed on the ground a short distance away.

The snake continued to writhe in pain, and seeing his chance Carter ran towards it, swords raised. He jumped, about to deal the last blow, until the Faunus boy was thrown into him, sending them both spiraling to the ground.

As Carter's eyes cleared he shook his head and looked around, seeing the Faunus a few feet away, unconscious. Hearing more hisses he turned to the two heads of the snake slithering towards the pair, reading to strike. One of the heads reared up, about to attack the unconscious Faunus on the forest floor. Carter stood and rushed over as the snake lunged, activating his semblance as he slid in front of his partner. The Grimm's teeth shattered as it hit the glowing boy, and it hissed in pain. As he deactivated his semblance Carter swung his blades around the creature, beheading it in one swift motion.

The second head hissed angrily as the first landed on the ground, agape and smoking. Carter turned to face the snake before it lunged at him. He jumped and landed on the head, stabbing into the creatures hide. The snake thrashed around in pain, trying to throw the boy off. It swung its head up, and Carter lost his grip as he was thrown high into the air. Looking down onto the Grimm he spun and threw his sword, pulling the trigger as it left his hand. The blade propelled towards the earth, slicing right through the King Taijitu's head and impaling into the ground. The snake froze before collapsing onto the forest floor in a heap, just as Carter landed beside it.

The boy pulled his sword from the dirt and transformed his weapons back into pistols as he holstered them. The Faunus was just regaining consciousness as Carter walked over to him. "You alright?" He asked, holding out his hand to help the Faunus up.

"Fine." The boy growled, slapping the hand away and getting up on his own. He looked around at the remains of the snake, and gave a quick glance to Carter before walking off once again.

"Hey," Carter called. "Can I at least have your name? I did save you twice just then."

The Faunus stopped, his ear twitching as he appeared to be thinking. "Raphael," he said before continuing out of the clearing.

Carter sighed. "_It's a start_," he thought, following his partner back into the trees

* * *

Sam and Yuan walked through the vast forest. A thick layer of clouds was overhead. Sam had finally agreed to stop chasing the boy and accept their fate, if only to pass the initiation. She still planned on using him as her own personal punching bag for the next four years however, which gave her a little comfort. The trees around them had begun to thin, and they found themselves at the bottom of a tall cliff. A small cave was embedded into the side of the rocks, and cave markings of people with spears and bows appeared to be fighting various monsters.

"Think this is it?" Yuan asked. "The temple, I mean."

Sam looked around the small entrance to the cave, but saw nothing that looked like a temple. "No." She said bluntly, turning and walking briskly away.

"H-hey!" Yuan said, turning and running after her. "C'mon! I could make a torch and everything!"

* * *

The clouds had now completely covered the sky, and though light still shone through, the shadows underneath the canopy of trees had thickened. Hidden in one of these shadows, behind a few fallen logs, sat William and Tiffany. "Really my dear, I see no point in hiding like this," the writer said.

"Shush!" Tiffany put a finger to her lips before peeking out over the logs. "You're gonna blow our cover!"

"It's just a few Beowolves my dear, nothing to be afraid of!" William said.

"Oh really?" Tiffany whispered, turning back to the boy. "Just a few? Why don't you take a look?"

"That's a grand idea," William said, and he carefully peeked over the logs. The shadows beneath the trees made it nearly impossible to see anything, but the boy could still make out a few shapes moving among them. He counted less than a half dozen. "See? Only a few. Nothing we can't handle," William whispered over his shoulder.

"Look harder," she breathed, peeking up beside him. William turned back towards the darkness, and though it took a minute for his eyes to adjust, he began to see more. What had appeared as half a dozen was in fact far more; maybe two or three dozen Beowolves were prowling around the forest, each looking and sniffing for the pair that hid in the shadows.

"Hmm, perhaps I was mistaken." William hid back behind the cover.

"Ya think?" Tiffany hissed, ducking down as well.

"So, what's the plan?" the writer asked.

"I'm not sure. We could just wait for them to pass as long as it doesn't start to-" a small drop of water dripped on her nose, stopping her. The two looked up to see that a small drizzle of rain had begun to fall from the sky, and was dripping through the leaves onto the students.

"Oh, lovely!" William said happily. "I do love a little rain. Helps set the atmosphere of a story."

"I really hate you." Tiffany huffed, edging closer to one of the trees to try and avoid the rain. Then her eyes widened as she heard a sound approaching, like a dog sniffing around. She scooted back behind the logs beside William, who had heard the noise as well. The two hugged the logs, trying to make themselves as unseen as possible. But the sniffing got closer and closer, until a shadow appeared over the two. They looked up to see the head of a growling Beowolf right above them, fangs bared. Tiffany gasped, but William quickly out a hand over her mouth and raised his other to the Grimm. His hand glowed as he activated his semblance, and the creature suddenly stopped growling. It's eyes seemed to glaze over, and it stopped bearing its fangs at the hunters.

William raised his hand, and as he did so, the Beowolf stood up and backed away from the logs. Tiffany watched in amazement as William then flicked his finger at the creature, and it looked up into the sky and howled. All the other creatures turned towards their companion and began running over to it. Before the first could arrive however, William pointed once to the charmed wolf and then off into the trees, directing the creature. The Beowolf howled again before bounding off into the direction the boy had indicated. The rest of the massive pack followed, believing the charmed monster had found their prey. Soon the forest was still again, except for the slight rain from above.

"How did you do that?" Tiffany asked.

"That, my dear, was a little something I refer to as charm" William responded, winking at the girl. "Quite a skill, is it not?"

Tiffany rolled her eyes as she stood. "Oh please, get over yourself." She continued towards the direction of the temple. "We gotta go before they figure out your little trick."

"My dear, that little trick just happened to save you, could you perhaps be a little more grateful to me, your rescuer?" William asked as he walked up beside her. "A reward, perhaps?"

"Oh, don't worry, you've already gotten your reward." Tiffany said. "That's the thirty-seventh time today you've called me dear, and normally I would've put a stop to it just then. But considering that you did help us save on time, I'm gonna let it slide. For now." And she continued off through the trees.

"Touché." William said with a smile, walking after her.

* * *

Kyla and Opal trudged through the trees as more and more water dripped around them. Kyla was using her shield to try and avoid the rain, while her sister on the other hand was happily enjoying the weather. "Are we there yet?" Opal asked as she skipped around her sister.

"Not yet," Kyla responded. "You asked that five minutes ago. It's gonna take awhile."

"Okay!" the girl said, continuing to skip. A few minutes passed before she asked again. "Are we there yet?"

Kyla sighed as she trudged along. She was used to her sister, but even she had limits. She was about to respond to Opal when she felt a presence behind them. She halted mid-stride, spinning around and narrowing her eyes.

Opal stopped and turned, head cocked to the side. "What's up sis?"

Kyla put her finger to her lips, silencing her sister. She drew her sword from the shield, and readied it. "Who's there?" she called into the darkness.

For a minute no response came, and Kyla almost thought that she could have been mistaken, until a voice sounded from empty space in front of the two. "Relax. We're on your side."

"Then show yourself," she said, easing up but keeping her weapon raised. "If you're with us, then why are you hiding?"

"Fair enough." A brown haired boy in a blue hoodie suddenly materialized before the sisters. "But you can never be too safe," The boy said. Kyla lowered her weapon, but was still unsure of the boy.

"Coooool" Opal said, amazed at the boy's ability. At the sight of her awed expression the boy looked away, embarrassed.

Suddenly brush could be heard breaking and crashing as something approached from the undergrowth. Kyla raised her weapon once again and stood in front of her sister. As the sound got closer a boy burst from the bushes, performing a double backflip as he landed. "Dude, I thought I lost you!" Chad said, turning to Norem.

Kyla looked from one boy to the other. "You know him?" She asked the hooded boy.

"Yes, he's with me."

The dancer turned as he noticed the girls standing there, Opal looking at him with the same expression she had shown Norem. "Hey there! Sorry if I scared ya!" he said.

"That was so cool!" Opal gushed. "How'd you do those flips?"

"Years of practice!" Chad responded, puffing out his chest.

As Opal continued to bombard the dancer with questions, Kyla turned to Norem. "Sorry about that back there." She said, sheathing her weapon. "I get a little protective of my sister."

"It's alright," he said. "Sorry about following you."

"Wait, you were following us? Why?" she asked.

The boy looked a little sheepish as he looked away once again. "We, umm... well we got lost," he admitted.

"You could have just asked." Kyla said, "We would have been happy to help."

"Thanks," he replied, scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm Kyla." She held out her hand. "My sister's name is Opal."

"Norem," the boy said, shaking the girl's hand. "My partner's Chad."

"You're partner is quite... interesting," Kyla mused, looking over to Chad and Opal. The dancer was performing multiple flips and dance moves at the girls request.

"The same could be said for your sister." Norem replied.

As they had been talking, the had rain become a downpour, and suddenly with a flash of lighting thunder boomed above the group, causing all of them to jump. "We should probably get going," Kyla said. "You're welcome to come along."

"Thanks, I think that'll be safer." After rejoining their partners, the group of four quickly continued off towards the eastern temple.

* * *

Rain pelted Sam and Yuan as they trudged through the darkening forest. Both used their shields to protect them from the rain, their feet squelching through the wet ground. "Uggg," the boy complained. "We can't see anything."

Sam ignored him as she continued on, but he was right. The darkness and rain made for poor visibility, and the two could barely see beyond a few trees in front of them. The constant downpour also made it almost impossible to hear anything, leaving the two vulnerable. Their only ally now was their aura, and while Yuan complained, Sam scanned the area around them.

As the two passed by yet another huge tree, she sensed something behind a few bushes in front of them. Quickly hiding behind the tree, Sam dragged her parter along with her. "Hey!" Yuan said. "What was that for?"

"Shhh!" Sam said, quieting the boy. She crouched and looked from behind the tree past the bushes. A Boarbatusk was rooting around in the dirt, only a few yards away.

Yuan poked his head out from behind the tree as well, looking at the creature. "Oh C'mon, it's only one monster. What are you afraid of?" he asked.

"I'm not afraid!" Sam said angrily. "There could be an entire heard of them!"

"But there's only one." Yuan said, pointing. "They don't always travel in groups, you know."

"If you're so sure, then why don't you go find out?" Sam said.

"Alright, sure." Yuan said, stepping out from behind the tree. "Like I said, it's only one. It'll be fine."

* * *

A tall hill stood at the eastern end of the forest, covered almost entirely by trees. At its top was a long flat field. A sandy slope led down one side of the hill towards the cliffs, but it was quickly turning to slick mud in the rain. Perched precariously at the edge of the slope stood a small square temple; a few dozen pedestals could be seen inside. Each held a different glittering gem, and many colors shone in the structure under the temple's crumbling roof.

Carter and Raphael saw all this as they walked onto the field from the forest, having reached their destination. They saw a group of four standing in the temple as they approached it. Carter stopped when he saw the group.

"Well well well, looks like you finally made it." Emmett said, strolling over to the two. Inside the temple were the rest of the group, which consisted of Nyte and Veronica, along with a shadowy dark haired boy. "You guys couldn't have been slower."

"We took our time," Carter responded. "Besides, there's nothing to be gained by getting here first."

"Other than showing who's better of course." Emmett said, smirking. He gave a glance to Raphael, who had remained silent during the conversation. "I almost feel bad for you, getting an animal as a partner."

The Faunus growled and quick as a flash extended the blades from his bracers. He advanced on Emmett, but Carter blocked his path. "Don't. It'll only make things worse," the boy said.

Raphael tried to dodge around his partner, but Carter stood his ground. "Get out of my way!" The Faunus ordered.

"He's not worth it." Carter stated, glaring at Emmett.

The boy smirked at Carter. "Try and keep your pet on a leash next time."

Carter would have told Emmett to back off, but he had been distracted enough to let down his guard. Raphael knocked him aside as he rushed at Emmett, but just as he got close, a huge tree fell in his path. A King Taijitu had erupted from the forest, flailing about and knocking down trees. A figure was riding on the head of the creature, and they saw that it was Oliver, exclaiming "Blimey, this one's a doozie!" As the Grimm thrashed he jumped off the head and threw one of his boomerangs. The weapon spun through the air and smashed into the snake's head before returning to Oliver's hand as he landed. The King Taijitu collapsed beside him, defeated. "G'day!" Oliver called as he waved to Carter. "Lovely weather we're having."

"Yeah, the sun's really shining," Carter responded sarcastically, looking around at the pouring rain. He glanced towards Emmett, who had returned to his group in the temple. Raphael was glaring at the group, but had retracted his blades. Carter took that as a good sign as Oliver walked over to him. Then a thought occurred to him; "Hey, don't you have a partner?" he asked.

"She's catching up," Oliver said, motioning behind him. More hissing could be heard from what sounded like the other head of the snake, but ended abruptly when a few gunshots were heard. A moment later Rowan emerged from the forest, replacing her weapons at her side. Oliver waved her over, then he motioned to one of the trees. Carter happily followed him underneath the cover of the leaves, his partner following as well.

"Are we the only ones who've gotten here yet?" Rowan asked as she joined them underneath the canopy.

"The rest might be here soon," Carter said. "We could wait for them."

Oliver and Rowan nodded in agreement, but Raphael wasn't as patient. "Why do we need to wait? Let's just finish this and be done."

"It'll be better to travel in numbers," reasoned Carter.

"Hmmf." The Faunus folded his arms and leaned against the tree, away from the rest.

"What's with him?" Rowan asked.

Carter shrugged. "Wish I knew."

Thunder boomed above them as rain continued to fall, giving no sign of stopping. A few minutes passed with no one else arriving, until Rowan's fox ears twitched as she listened. She turned and squinted into the sheet of rain, towards the tree line. "More students incoming," she said, pointing.

They turned towards the direction she indicated, but it took a few seconds for the rest of the group to see what she did. Kyla, Norem, Opal, and Chad all entered the clearing together. Three of the four trudged unhappily through the rain, but not Opal. She was skipping around playfully and splashing water, much to the others' dismay. As they neared where Carter and the rest stood, they saw two more enter the field. William and Tiffany entered close by, shaking the rain off themselves.

"C'mon," Carter motioned. "Let's head to the temple." They quickly made their way through the rain into the structure. There were no walls in the temple, only pillars that held up the roof. The ruin still covered better than trees however, so no one complained. Carter was amazed at the gems that were housed here. One to each pedestal, all the crystals were cut uniquely, and each gem sparkled like they had just been polished.

"Let's pick one," Oliver said, and he and Rowan walked over to one of the pedestals. They retrieved the sparkling white gem as their artifact, and Oliver stuffed the crystal into his pocket. The rest of the students arrived, each pair taking a gem as well. Opal happily held a blue gem above her head as she skipped around the ruins. Chad retrieved a similar crystal, saying that he liked how it matched his hair.

As Carter looked around the group and artifacts, he noticed that neither Yuan nor Sam were there. Before he could ask anyone if they had seen them, Emmett and the rest of his group approached. "Alright, alright, you've got your artifacts, now if you don't mind, get out."

"What?" Kyla asked.

"I beg your pardon?" William said, turning away from the gem he was about to retrieve.

"You heard me," the boy said. "We were here first, and since we're obviously better than all of you, we get the temple to wait out the rain."

"Better than me?" Tiffany asked incredulously. "I highly doubt that. We have just as much right to be here as you. Unless you'd like to discuss the matter?" And she placed a hand on her weapon.

"Are you seriously challenging me?" Emmett asked, smirking. The other three with him walked up beside him, hands on their weapons as well.

"Four against one is hardly a fair fight!" William said, rushing to his partner's side. Tiffany rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I wanna join too!" Opal said excitedly before being dragged back by Kyla. Norem and Chad however stood by Kyla in the face off.

"Now hold on there mates," Oliver said, getting between the groups. "Fighting's not going to get us anywhere. If we're gonna get through this storm, we gotta work together."

"I'm not working with with a bunch of weaklings like you." Emmett sneered. "Especially not ones that associate with animals." He glared over at Raphael and Rowan.

That was it. The straw that broke the camels back. Weapons were drawn on both sides, and both Carter and Oliver stood between the groups. It seemed fighting was inevitable as they tried to calm everyone down. Oliver spoke out; "Listen mates! Let's all just keep our heads and not lose our-"

"RUN!" A voice echoed from outside the temple. "RUN RUN RUN!"

Everyone stopped and turned to see Yuan sprinting out of the forest, followed closely by Sam. A few seconds later a single Boarbatusk erupted from the tree line as well in pursuit. "It's just one monster." Rowan said, watching the pair curiously. It was then however that they first felt the ground begin to shake. Suddenly a stampede of the boar Grimm erupted from the woods, knocking down trees and flattening bushes.

"You know what?" All eyes turned back to Emmett, who was holding a purple gemstone. "On second thought, the temple's yours. Later losers!" he called as he jumped and slid on his feet down the muddy slope of the hill, the rest of his group following.

"Oh no you don't!" Tiffany snarled, and charged after them, sliding along her feet as well.

"Wait for me darling!" cried William, snatching up a white crystal and following his partner.

Yuan and Sam sprinted by, Yuan grabbing a gem as he passed through the temple and jumping down the slope as well. Carter turned to Oliver as he drew his weapons. "Go after them, and try and make sure they don't kill each other, we'll buy you some time."

"Sounds like a plan mate!" Oliver jumped along with Rowan. "See you on the other side!" he called behind him.

The rest of the students joined Carter to face the oncoming horde. "Exactly how much time are we expected to buy for them?" Norem asked, knocking an arrow into his bow.

Carter transformed his weapons into the riffles and loaded in clips "Each one is fairly weak on its own, so we should try and-" suddenly a roar was heard, and what looked like the herd leader charged from the forest. Four times the size of the other Grimm, its horns were almost as large as its armored body. Even the usual weak spot of its stomach was protected. The Grimm set its sights on the temple and and curled up into a ball, spinning towards the students. "On second thought, RUN!" Carter yelled, and the remaining students turned tail and fled towards the slope. Carter grabbed a red gem as he ran alongside Raphael. They reached the edge but just as he jumped from the temple, the huge Boarbatusk collided with the structure, shattering it.

Carter landed unevenly on the slope, threatening to tip over. The rain had made the mud slick as ice, and he slid upright down the hill as if on skates. He wove left and right to avoid the rocks and ruins that fell around him, keeping a grip on his weapons. Carter glanced behind him to see multiple boar Grimm charging towards him, and he turned and fired at the creatures. Some tumbled, but still more of the creatures appeared from over the hill.

Carter dodged around trees, rocks and Grimm alike as he sped down the slope. He saw Raphael wrestling with one of the creatures as he tumbled downwards, and Opal skating and spinning happily. Then a huge slab of the temple floor appeared next to him, with Chad, Norem and Kyla riding on it. He jumped onto the sliding platform, firing more rounds at the stampede that chased them. Opal and Raphael joined them on the giant sled as well, but were closely followed by more Grimm.

Chad kicked one of the creatures off as Kyla slammed another aside with her shield. Norem tried to keep the Grimm at bay, but more just continued to roll on to the platform. As Carter and his partner fought off a small group, he saw two of the creatures facing off against Opal. One of them charged her, but she easily jumped to the side and pulled out her weapons, transforming them. She held a pair of hefty single handed maces, and she giggled as she twirled them around like batons. The Boarbatusk charged again, but Opal slammed one of the maces into the charging creature. The beast was launched off the platform with a strength that didn't seem to match the girls stature. The second Grimm charged as well, but met a similar end.

A few more boars rolled up beside the platform, knocking into it and nearly shaking the students off. Opal sprung into action, pulling a trigger on the handle of the mace. With an explosive force the head separated from the handle, but was still attached with a long chain. Opal swung the transformed flail in an arc, knocking away the rolling Grimm.

Chad laughed as he kicked aside another boar. "Radical! We're gonna win this!"

"We're not done yet!" Kyla exclaimed, pointing up the slope. The huge Boarbatusk from before was speeding towards the platform, outpacing it completely.

"Can't we go any faster?" Raphael yelled as he slashed aside another monster.

Chad brightened up as he appeared to have an idea. "I got you guys! Hold on to something bros!" And he began to glow as he activated his semblance. He slammed his fist onto the platform, causing it to glow as well. Suddenly the surface became as slippery as the mud, forcing the rest of the students to stab weapons into the ground and hold onto each other. The platform picked up speed, eventually outrunning the entire herd of Grimm.

The small group celebrated briefly, before realizing just how fast they were going. Too late did they realize they were at the bottom of the slope, with multiple jutting rocks at its end. The platform crashed into one of these boulders, sending the riders flying though the air. Carter tried to steady himself, but a large stone hit his head, and he blacked out as he hit the ground hard.

* * *

Glynda and Ozpin watched the events unfold on their scrolls from the top of the cliff. Each had a large umbrella that protected them from the pounding rain.

"It's a pity, we'll have to find another temple now." The headmaster said, taking a drink from his nearly empty mug.

"I've already arranged for a new temple to be used." Glynda said. "A small circular structure at the northern end of the forest should suffice."

Ozpin nodded as he finished off his drink. "Good. I think its time to head towards the finish. The initiation will soon be over."

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_


	11. Chapter 7: The Storm part 2

_the end of the initiation! Again, sorry this is a little late, but its still technically Wednesday, and it's not easy churning out these sized chapters each week. Next few ones will probably be a little shorter, so you can expect them earlier in the day. Anyways, enjoy!_

_(P.S. Thank you to Camcake, I have gone through and fixed were I mixed up Rowan and Norems names.)_

* * *

Thunder boomed over head as Carter shook himself awake. He felt the cold wet ground beneath him as regained his senses. He heard growling and snorting nearby, and sat up quickly to see a Borbatusk charging him. Carter scrambled for his weapon, but just as the creature got close, a black arrow flew straight into its eye.

The Grimm landed in a heap beside the boy, and he looked to see Norem knocking another arrow. "Move!" Norem yelled, launching an arrow at another creature. Kyla and Opal were fighting nearby, along with Raphael and Chad. Carter stood and ran from the oncoming horde, looking from where they had landed. They stood at one end of a large field, and on the other end the field dropped off sharply into a huge ravine that separated them from the cliff towering above them. Three tall towers stood in a row at the edge of the ravine. Two of the towers had bridges that crossed over to the base of a cliff, where a platform jutted out at the bottom of a zigzagging stairway leading to the top. The third and closest structure's bridge had collapsed however, and the tower itself looked the worst for wear out of the three. Carter headed for the towers, along with the rest of their small group.

As they ran across the field from the Borbatusk herd, Carter saw the battle at the base of the towers. Oliver, William, Tiffany, and Rowan were defending the entrance of the middle tower from a pack of Beowulves that had joined the fray. Sam and Yuan stood in the farthest tower to the right, outnumbered and retreating. Carter could also faintly see Emmett and his gang running up the stairs of the cliff, abandoning the others.

"We've got to help the others!" Carter shouted as he ran, sending up splashes of water behind him with every step.

"I don't think we can!" Kyla called back, pointing towards the battle. The distant students were being pushed into the towers, and a huge horde of monsters separated them from any assistance. The closest and crumbling tower was the only one not surrounded by Grimm. "We'll catch up with them later."

A few Borbatusk pursued the group as they fled, and as they finally reached the entrance to the old tower, some of the creatures charged at the door. Chad and Raphael turned and fired at the creatures as the rest ran inside. "There's too many, the tower will be overrun!" Raphael said as he fired a few shots into a nearby creature. At the back of the tower was another entrance, where the beginning of the bridge would be. But only jagged stones stuck out.

"Get back!" Kyla cried, running to the entrance. She sheathed her sword into her shield and twisted the handle. The weapon transformed, folding into a gun shape. She retrieved an ammo clip from her side and clicked it into the the weapon. "Now!" Chad and Raphael jumped to the side as Kyla pulled the trigger on the gun. A huge stream of flame erupted from the weapon, roasting the attacking monsters. "I've got the entrance. Get up the tower and find us a way out!" Kyla called over the blast of flame. Chad stayed to help her as the rest hurried up the stairs of the tower.

They passed a few empty floors before reaching the top, which was also abandoned.

"There's no way across." Carter said, looking down the sides of the tower. He saw the flame at the entrance dying out, meaning the rest were coming up. "We aren't going anywhere without a bridge."

"Well we gotta figure out a way, fast." Norem pointed towards the sky. Among the dark clouds Carter saw black shapes flying towards the towers. They soon revealed themselves to be a flock of Nevermore. Each was barley the size of one the hunters, but there were dozens of the creatures flying at them.

"This day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it." Carter said as he transformed his weapons into riffles.

Kyla and Chad arrived at the top of the tower. "We're about to have company," Kyla warned, gesturing to the staircase. Sounds of Grimm could be heard charging up the tower. "Did you find a way?" she asked.

"No, we're trapped. And we've got more trouble coming," Carter responded, pointing towards the approaching Nevermore flock. Norem and Raphael fired at the monsters, barely dispersing them.

Suddenly Opal perked up. "Oh oh oh! I've got an idea sis!" The girl bounced up and down, quite cheery despite the situation. "If we can't find a bridge across, we'll just make our own!"

"What?" the rest of the group said collectively, looking towards her.

"Here, I'll show you!" and with a giggle, Opal pulled out her weapons and ran to the edge of the tower. She jumped and landed on one of the small Nevermore. The creature looked surprised as Opal propelled off its back onto another, before turning and transforming her weapons. The maces folded back into the pistol forms as Opal took aim at the bottom to the tower. As she fired no bullets appeared, but instead a stream of bright flare shots launched from the guns and erupted at the base of the structure. Opal pointed the weapon at the creature she was standing on and fired again, launching herself back towards the top of the structure as the avian Grimm exploded into fire and feathers. She landed on her feet, and gave a little curtsy. "Ta-da!"

The rest of the hunters looked flabbergasted before they felt the tower shake under their feet. The base of the tower cracked, and with a groan the tower began to tip backwards towards the ravine. Realization dawned in the students eyes as the structure shook underneath them. "Bottom of the tower, now!" Carter ordered, firing at a diving Nevermore.

The students ran towards the stairs, Kyla dragging her sister along. "You're a genius, Opal! A crazy, crazy, genius!" As they reached the stairs however, a few Borbatusk burst from the stairway, blocking the exit.

The students stopped dead in their tracks. "Down the side!" ordered Carter, transforming his weapons into swords. The tower was almost at a 45 degree angle, and the top was about to become vertical. The students jumped and slid down the side, Carter jamming his swords into the the tower wall to slow himself. Raphael slid beside him, clawing the stones with his weapon. Carter looked at the other towers, and saw Sam and Yuan still being pushed back at the farthest bridge. The alpha Borbatusk and the rest of the herd had begun attacking them, and was fighting with the pair. "We've got to get over there!" Carter yelled, gesturing.

Raphael looked over to the pair below. "And how, exactly, are we supposed to do that?" he asked. As they reached the middle of the tower, the structure's top had nearly reached the cliff on the other side. They slowed to a stop and stood on the collapsing structure.

"We'll cover you," Kyla called from behind them. Chad and Norem had begun to fight off the Nevermore above them, and Opal was firing flare blasts into the sky, knocking down many of the birds. A few Nevermore swooped towards them, but the three dodged out of the way and the creatures flew past. "Go, now! Like Opal did!" she commanded, clicking another clip into her flamethrower.

"This is so dumb," Raphael muttered as he and Carter ran towards the edge of the structure. They jumped, each landing on a monster. The creatures squawked in protest, but the pair had already leapt from their backs. The other creatures appeared smarter however, and didn't stick around to be used as stepping stones. Both boys fell through the air towards the middle tower's bridge, before slamming into its side. As they began to slide towards the depths of the ravine they stabbed their weapons into the stone, steadying themselves. "Told you..." Raphael gasped, winded from the fall.

"Hey, it worked didn't it?" grunted Carter, pulling himself up onto the bridge. The Faunus followed, and Carter looked back towards the collapsing tower. The top of it slammed into the cliff, and it's middle started to break and bend. The structure began falling into the ravine, but not before the students they had left jumped onto the platform at the cliff to safety. Though the flock of Nevermore had set their sights on the group and was flying in to attack. Carter took his eyes away from the group to face his own problems. A Beowolf on the tower spotted the two and began to charge.

"Heads up mates!" a voice called, and a boomerang spun past the boys and slammed into the monster, knocking it off the bridge. Oliver ran to the boys' sides as he caught his weapon, Rowan beside him. More Beowolves were poring out of the tower entrance onto the bridge, barley being kept back by William and Tiffany.

Carter looked over to the other bridge beside him, seeing Sam and Yuan fighting for their lives. The space between the bridges was too far to jump, and none of the avian Grimm were nearby. "Can you help us get across?" Carter asked, turning to Oliver and pointing to the other bridge.

Oliver looked over and nodded. "Leave it to me mate!" he replied as he spun the barrels on his boomerangs. The weapons began to glow blue as dust inside of them activated, and he threw the weapons into the air. The weapons arced and hit the other bridge, forming spikes of ice that reached out to the bridge they stood on. As the boomerangs returned to Oliver's hand, a few Beowolves broke through the others' defenses and charged. "Better get going," Oliver said. "And good luck to ya." He and Rowan charged at the monsters.

"C'mon!" Carter urged, jumping off the bridge onto the ice. Raphael followed, and the two tried to steady themselves on the slippery platform. The ice cracked under their weight, threatening to break. They charged, and as they reached the bridge Carter slammed into a Borbatusk and sent it flying off the edge of the bridge. The ice shattered as they left it, it's shards falling into the ravine.

They landed next to Sam and Yuan, facing more of the monsters. "Nice of you to drop by," Yuan greeted, smiling to his friend.

"Don't mention it," Carter replied, facing the other monsters. The alpha led the heard, with a dozen more smaller Borbatusk behind it. The huge Grimm took up almost the entire width of the bridge. It roared at the sight of more people, and rolled up and spun towards the students. The students tried to dodge to the side, but had no where to go on the thin bridge. Carter stabbed his weapon into the side of the bridge before he fell, the huge Borbatusk rolling by. Raphael however scrambled at the stone, missed, and started to fall. Carter swung his foot and the Faunus caught it, hanging on for dear life. He swung Raphael back onto the bridge, and clambered back up.

Sam and Yuan had managed to stay on as well and looked ahead at the massive creature that blocked their only escape. "There's no way past it," Sam said. "It's too tough."

Carter thought for a moment as the Grimm turned to face the students and pawed the ground. "Sam, Rapheal, distract the alpha and make sure it doesn't charge us again," he directed. The two looked skeptical for a moment, neither liking to take orders. They made up their minds quickly though when the creature roared again, and readied their weapons. Carter and Yuan turned to face the rest of the herd that was quickly approaching.

"Please tell me you have a plan?" Yuan asked, fitting crystals into his sword.

"I'll tell you when I think of one," Carter answered, raising his weapons. The two charged, running straight for the horde.

* * *

The small cloud of Nevermore surrounded Kyla, Opal, Norem, and Chad as they fought against it. Arrows, flare shots, flames and bullets brought the birds down one by one, and the flock was thinning. "Yeah, we got this!" Chad shouted, bringing the last of the Grimm with a few shots kicked from his boots. His happiness was short lived as a huge shape slammed onto the ground, knocking him back. A Nevermore the size of an Ursa had landed on the platform, and gave a loud call above it.

The creature raised its wing as if to throw something, and Kyla's eyes widened. "Dodge it!" She called. As the bird swing its wing down, Norem disappeared while the rest dodged to the side. The Nevermore shot a volley of feathers the size of swords, which impaled into the ground were they had stood.

Kyla looked up from the ground to see Chad charging the Nevermore, and the creature turned to face him. He fired off the ground, only for the huge bird to slap him aside with its wing. The boy landed a few meters away, groaning. "Oww, not cool..."

The Grimm set its sights on Kyla, and scraped its talons on the stone as it advanced on her. As it opened its mouth to strike though, Opal ran to it, uppercutting it in the beak with her mace. She jumped and slammed both her maces into the top of its mouth, cracking its beak. "Bad birdie! Bad!" the girl scolded as she landed back in front of the creature. "No hurting sis or Chad!"

The Nevermore shook its head, dizzy from the blows. Kyla stood back up as Chad joined the two girls. The creature focused back on the three and raised its wing once again. Kyla looked to the two beside her as an idea came to her. "Chad, get above that thing. Opal, behind me now!" And she transformed her weapon back into the sword and shield. As feathers fired at them Chad launched up into the air, and Opal hid behind her sister as Kyla raised her shield. The feathers embedded into the shield with multiple thuds. "Fire, now!" Kyla ordered, stepping aside.

Opal transformed her weapon back into the flare pistols and fired at the Grimm, along with Chad from above. Explosions blasted the Nevermore backwards off the platform, and it fell smoking into the ravine. "Yeah, that was awesome!" Opal exclaimed as Chad landed beside them, celebrating as well.

Kyla looked around, just realizing the missing member of their group. "Hey, where's Norem?"

A crash behind them whirled the students around as they saw another large Nevermore land. The creature cawed as it raised its wing to strike, but a black arrow flew into the wing. The creature looked in alarm as more arrows flew into its wings and back, Then slammed into the ground as something landed on it full force. Norem stood on the creatures back, spinning his staff. "You called?" He said, smiling.

"Duuuude, radical!" Chad said, pumping his fist into the air before wincing and clinching his side. As Norem hopped off the Grimm Opal ran up to the creature and started kicking it in the head.

"Yeah, that's what you get!" the girl yelled. The Nevermore was barely conscious enough the lift its head in protest.

"Opal!" Kyla barked. The girl stopped kicking the creature and skipped back to her sister. The group turned as they heard more battles behind them through the rain and thunder. "C'mon, they might need us!" Kyla said, leading the group towards the others.

* * *

Tiffany and William stood together against a huge pack of Beowolves on the bridge. "I do believe this is the same pack as before." William remarked. "It seems they figured out our little ruse."

"Can't you use your semblance again?" Tiffany asked as she sliced one of the monsters aside.

"Unfortunately, my ability only works on single targets; and even if I were to use it, I doubt it would be much help." William responded, stabbing at the creatures.

"A simple no would have worked," Tiffany fumed as she knocked aside more Grimm. The two were being pushed back farther and farther across the bridge, barely holding on. Just as they were about to retreat backwards once more, a boomerang spun past the two, ricocheting of a few of the monsters and knocking them down. One of the Beowolves dodged the weapon and charged, but Rowan appeared and leapt over the two onto the creature. The wolf roared and swiped at its head, but the Faunus had already stabbed the blade of her pistol into its skull, and flipped off as it collapsed.

Oliver ran beside them as he caught his weapon, and the four stood facing the pack as it began to regroup. "Why don't we just run?" Rowan asked.

"They'd outrun us before we made it to the other side," Tiffany replied, flipping her axe around so the end of the handle was pointing at the oncoming creatures. She pulled back on a lever close the the blades, and a harpoon shot out of the end of her weapons handle. The harpoon stuck in the chest of the nearest Grimm, and the creature was dragged towards them as she pushed back down on the lever. As the Beowulf got near, Tiffany swung her axe around, cleaving the creature in half.

Oliver watched her as she preformed the attack, then looked around at the lighting strikes around them. As he looked to the wet stone beneath them a plan began to form in his head. "Alright mates, I've got a plan, but it's gonna be risky."

"Anything's better than this," Rowan said, shooting at the nearing Grimm.

"Alright. Rowan, can you securely hook onto one of those with your whip?" He asked.

"Too easy," the Faunus smirked, before dashing forwards towards the monsters.

Oliver turned to William and Tiffany beside him. "You two cover us from here, and get ready to jump!" And without waiting for a response he ran after Rowan.

"Wait, so we're just supposed to do what he says?" Tiffany asked perplexedly.

"He does seem to know what he's doing," William answered, spinning his weapon around. The halberd transformed and became a long musket. "And frankly, we weren't getting very far with our old plan of simply fighting them head on." he pointed out as he began firing into the pack of Beowulves.

"Fine, just try and keep your mouth shut," Tiffany said, reading her harpoon.

Rowan dodged around each monster's strikes, flicking her whip around her. The weapon struck the Grimm around her, distracting them. Oliver was close behind, taking out any wolves distracted by his partner. The Faunus stopped and dodged around another strike, jumping behind a Beowulf. She quickly hooked her weapon around the creature and tightened the grip. As she flipped off the Grimm, she brought the blade of her pistol down onto the creatures paw, pinning it to the stone. She landed back in front of it, Oliver beside her.

"Give it here!" he said, and Rowan tossed him the end of the whip. He quickly tied it to one of his boomerangs as the Faunus dodged around one of the creatures. A Beowolf lunged at him before he could finish, but a shot from William's weapon stopped the creature. "Done! Let's move!" And the two ran back towards the others, the whip trailing back to the struggling Beowolf.

"What exactly are we supposed to do?" Rowan asked as they briefly escaped the horde. As she ran, she looked back nervously at her weapons still attached to one of the monsters.

"Just jump when I tell you to," Oliver said, running straight ahead. "And it'll be fine!"

"Jump?!" Rowan repeated her partners words, shocked. "What do you mean jump!?"

Oliver smiled but didn't give a response. A few of the creatures followed close behind, and the boy readied his weapon as they approached William and Tiffany. The whip's slack began to straighten, and Oliver spun the barrel of one of his weapons. The boomerang began glowing as he threw it as far as he could into the sky. "Jump! And hold on mates!" he yelled as he slammed into Tiffany, knocking them both off the bridge.

"Are you crazy?!" Tiffany shouted as they fell from the structure.

"Harpoon the bridge!" Oliver ordered, ignoring her yelling.

Tiffany huffed, but fired anyways if only to save herself. The harpoon stuck underneath the bridge as both students clung onto the axe. Rowan and William had jumped as well, and as Tiffany reached the end of the harpoons rope, she and Oliver arched towards the two and caught them.

"Hello darling!" William greeted merrily as he hugged his partner. Oliver smiled a silent apology to Tiffany as she gave him a harsh look. They were just swinging under the bridge as a flash of light caught their eyes. The glowing purple boomerang, which was still attached to the pinned Grimm through the whip, was struck by a bolt of lighting. The electricity shot through the cord and straight through the monster onto the puddle-riddled bridge. The entire pack of Beowolves were electrified and reduced to a bunch of burnt husks in a flash.

The electricity was gone as fast as it came, and the hunters swung and landed back on the bridge just as the thunder boomed overhead. "Not bad eh?" Oliver beamed to the others as his weapon returned to his hand.

"Other than the fact that you nearly got us killed?" Tiffany accused as she retracted the harpoon to her axe. Oliver's smile faded at the accusing tone, but returned as the girl continued, "Yeah, It was a pretty good plan."

"Quite excellent I might say!" William agreed. "Simply marvelous! I must write it down!"

"How about more of a heads up next time?" Rowan asked as she wrenched her weapons from the remains of a Grimm. The group stopped as they heard roars from the bridge over, but they could barely see through the rain now.

"Let's move," Oliver ordered, and the four continued across the bridge.

* * *

Carter slashed a Borbatusk aside as it charged him, Yuan blocking another with his shield. "They just keep coming!" He grunted, blocking another Grimm with his broadswords and sending it splashing back onto the wet ground.

"I'm almost out of dust," Yuan said, cutting aside the monster he had blocked. "Come up with a plan yet?"

"Still working on it." Carter replied, slashing out once more. They were fighting just the front of the herd, with more monsters pilling in front of them. Sam and Raphael could be heard fighting the alpha behind them, and by the sounds of it, it wasn't going well.

"We gotta help them!" Yuan declared.

"If we both go, than the herd will overrun us, and neither of us can handle this on our own," Carter replied.

"You kidding me?" Yuan smirked, jumping back from the fight. He transformed his weapon into the staff, and the last crystal on it began to glow. Carter jumped back as a transparent white wall appeared between him and the monsters, blocking the creatures advance.

Carter smiled, impressed, before turning quickly when he heard more fighting behind him. Sam was thrown back from the creature as Raphael continued to attack it to no avail.

"Go!" Yuan called, staff still raised. The Grimm were tackling and smashing into the wall. Yuan was already tired, and it was clear he couldn't keep the wall up for long. "I've got this!" Carter nodded his thanks and ran to help the others through the rain.

Sam was covered in scratches and bruises, but she refused to give up as she struggled off the ground. The huge Borbatusk roared at her, but before it could charge Carter appeared, slashing out at the armor. The Grimm was unharmed but staggered back from rapid strikes, and the boy landed beside Sam.

"You alright?" He asked, looking at her injuries with concern.

"I'm fine," Sam declared, brushing him off.

Carter looked taken aback before he turned back to the creature before them. "Alright, what have you got?"

"It's completely armored, even the legs," Sam reported. Raphael was blurring around the Borbatusk, striking all around it fruitlessly. "We can't even scratch it,"

Carter observed the creature, looking for any weak spot. Sam had been right, the entire body of the creature was white with armor, the only other color was a few black patches and the blood red color of its markings and eyes. "Wait," Carter said, thinking. "That's it! The eyes!"

Sam looked back to the creature as well. "That won't be nearly enough to kill it," she stated.

"It doesn't have to be," Carter replied, looking back at Yuan and then to his partner. "Raphael!" He called, signaling the Faunus.

Raphael paused and kicked off of the creature, landing beside Carter. "What?" he growled.

"I've got a plan. I need you to take out that things eyes," Carter directed. "And then I need you to use your semblance to grab Yuan when I say."

The Faunus glanced back at the mage holding back the rest of the herd as he contemplated his partners words. "Fine," he muttered. "But just this once."

Carter turned to Sam, "Alright, you and I need to get it to roll again, and then be ready to give me your shield."

"Wait, my shield?" The girl questioned. "Why?"

"Just trust me. Both of you," Carter said, looking at both of them. "I know we just met, but if we're gonna get out of this, the only way is together."

Sam looked skeptical for a moment, but as she turned back to the Grimm preparing to charge, her mind was set. "Alright, got it. You better know what you're doing."

"I hope so too," Carter replied as they faced the creature. The Borbatusk roared and ran at the three. "Charge!" he yelled, and they ran to meet the monster. Raphael jumped onto the boars head and drove his blades into its eyes. The Borbatusk reared up on its hind legs in agony, and Sam knocked into it with full force. Carter slid underneath the creature, swords scraping its stomach as it slammed its front hooves back on the bridge. He slid out behind it and jumped onto its back, striking downwards as he ran across its spine. He flipped off the creatures head as he reached it, landing beside the others as they jumped back as well. The monster roared in fury once again, and Carter saw that Raphael had done his job. The creatures eyes were completely bloodied and beaten, and the Borbatusk blundered around blind. The monster still had its sense of smell though, and turned to face the students as it rolled into a spiky ball.

"Here it comes!" Sam warned, backing up.

"Give me your shield!" Carter called, and Sam tossed her shield to him as the alpha spun towards them. "Behind me!" He ordered, kneeling down and activating his semblance as he thrust the shield at an angle into the ground. Sam and Raphael kneeled behind him and braced for impact as the spinning wheel of death reached them. But instead of crashing into them the huge Borbatusk launched of off Carter like a tiny ramp, sending it high into the sky behind them. Carter deactivated his semblance as he turned to his partner. "Now!"

The Faunus glowed and sped forwards, and was suddenly back with a very surprised Yuan. "Woah! What the? What?" Yuan stuttered as he looked around in confusion. Carter watched the white wall disappear and the herd of Grimm spill out, only for the alpha to come crashing down onto them from the sky. The bridge snapped on the impact, and the entire structure began to fall.

"Run!" He exclaimed, tossing Sam her shield as they ran frantically for the cliffs. The bridge collapsed behind them piece by piece, getting closer each time. As they reached the end the final piece fell from under Carter's feet, and he started to fall until a hand grabbed his arm. He looked up to see Raphael gripping him, and he clambered onto the platform. "Thanks..." Carter huffed, laying on the ground, exhausted.

"Don't mention it," the Faunus replied, breathing heavily as well.

Carter looked up into the sky to see that the clouds had started to thin, then he heard a voice a few feet away; "That was awesome!"

He sat up and looked around to realize that the rest of the students stood around them. Opal was the one who had spoken, and was beaming along with Kyla. Beside the two sisters Chad leaned against Norem for support, clutching his side. Oliver stood alongside Rowan, William, and Tiffany, grinning at him. Yuan and Sam stood beside them, wheezing as well.

"Well that was fun," Yuan coughed. "Let's do it again sometime," and he held out his hand to help Carter up.

"Maybe," He said as he was hoisted up. Carter pulled out the large glittering gem from his pocket as the others did the same, looking at the stairs that led up the cliff. "But first, we've got some artifacts to deliver."

* * *

The sixteen first years all stood next to the stage at the post-initiation ceremony, each bruised, cut, dirty, and still damp from the rain. The headmaster stood on the stage as the crowd applauded the students achievements. The screen above Ozpin showed faces as he began calling names; " Emmet Daltroy, Nyte Perth, Veronica Shade, Taupe Yale." Emmett and the rest of his gang stepped onto the stage. "The four of you retrieved the amethyst gemstones. From this day forwards you will work together as team ENVY, led by Emmett Daltroy." The crowd cheered as the students walked off the stage with their new titles. New faces appeared on the screen as Ozpin listed new names; "Kyla Greene, Norem Ezi, Opal Greene, Chad Jetfire." The four students walked up onto the stage, Opal skipping happily as Kyla tried to calm her down. "The four of you retrieved the sapphire gemstones. From this day forwards, you will work together as team KONJ, led by Kyla Greene!"

The crowd cheered as the students celebrated, Chad doing a few flips and dance moves as Opal turned to her sister. "Congrats sis!"

As team KONJ walked off the stage Ozpin continued as the projector changed and four more students walked onto the stage. "Oliver Tie, William Berry, Tiffany Blue, Rowan Cameleo. The four of you retrieved the diamond gemstones. From this day fourth, you shall work together as team OWTR, led by Oliver Tie!" The crowd continued its applause as William nonchalantly placed an arm around Tiffany, but was quickly shoved away. Team OWTR walked off the stage as the last students walked onto the stage. "And finally, Carter Hemlock, Yuan Encanto, Raphael Gepard, and Sam Ambero. The four of you collected the ruby gemstones. From this day fourth you will work together as team CYRS, led by Carter Hemlock!" Yuan clapped Carter on the back, grinning. Sam seemed slightly surprised, but congratulated him as well anyway. Even Raphael had a small hint of a smile, though he hid it as his team looked to him.

"Well, looks like we're gonna be stuck together for the next four years!" Yuan said, slinging his arms around Carter and Sam.

"Try not to spend it with a broken limb, would you?" Sam threatened, and her partner quickly withdrew his arm from her shoulder in fear. As the ceremony ended all the students trudged to their assigned dorms, so tired none of them even remembered the trip there. The only thing Carter remembered was crawling into a warm bed, and falling instantly to sleep.

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_


	12. Chapter 8: First Day

_Next chapter is up, Enjoy!_

* * *

The sun rose to shine on the large dorm building at the edge of Beacon Academy. A warm breeze flowed through the open window of one of the dorms, washing over the students that occupied it. In the hallway outside the room a square metal plate labeled the room, with the letters CYRS along with the room number 37. Another door directly across the hall was labeled OWTR 38, and two more rooms further down the hall read KONJ 36 and ENVY 35. At each end of the hallway the hall split off to both the right and left, and at one intersections there was a single door, while at the other was two.

Back at room 37 one of the first year students began to stir, Carter awaking to his first official day at Beacon Academy. He got out of his bed, which was the closest to the left wall, and looked around and the dorm he would be living in for the next four years. The room was rather small, one large open window and a door each on the other walls. The bed closest to Carter's was occupied by Yuan, who was snoring away as usual. The next bed, which Carter assumed belonged to Raphael, was empty. He looked around the dorm, but his partner was nowhere to be seen. The last and farthest bed was Sam's, but it was hard to tell as the only implication was the small cocoon of blankets curled up on the bed.

Carter opened the door opposite the window and looked out into the hallway, but saw that no one else seemed to be out and about. He checked the other doors in his dorm, and found that one was a closet while the other was a small bathroom. He was still blinking sleep from of his eyes as he saw the luggage stacked beside one of the walls, and he pulled out his rucksack and set it on his bed. As he went to open it however a sound was heard from the window, and he looked to see his partner climb into the room.

"Little early to be out, don't you think?" Carter asked, turning back to his bag. He received only a huff from the Faunus, and he glanced over to see Raphael retrieving his own small bag.

Carter opened his luggage and laid out its contents onto the bed. As he looked down onto everything he owned, he realized just how little he carried in his travels. A few sets of clothing along with his green scarf was in a small pile. He pulled his compass from his pocket and set it beside a rolled up map covered in marks and drawings. A notebook filled with sketches and writings sat atop a small pile of different books, and a leather wallet filled with lien lay next to it. Souvenirs consisting of various objects was in another pile, mostly consisting of different stones and a few shells. The nicest things the boy owned were his small Scroll and with his weapons.

A snort behind Carter caught his attention as he turned to see Yuan waking up. "Mornin'," the blond boy yawned.

"Morning," Carter replied.

"We unpacking already?" Yuan asked, looking at his friends belongings laid out and Raphael rummaging through his bag. "Alright!" and he jumped out of his bed and sped over to his own bag. As he dumped the contents onto his bed the ball of blankets at the farthest bed began to stir.

"Who's being so loud?" Sam asked as she emerged from her cocoon and trudged out of bed. She had awful bed head, her hair sticking out at odd angles as she tugged at it with a hairbrush.

"Nice hair," Yuan remarked, which was received with the brush flying into his head.

"At least I don't snore," Sam retorted as her partner fell backwards onto his bed, a red mark on his forehead.

"Guys, it's the first day. Can we try not to fight?" Carter asked.

"He started it," Sam mumbled, retrieving her own bags. She picked up the brush from the floor and finished combing down her hair.

Yuan sat up, rubbing his head. "Oww, that hurt," he complained.

"You did kind of ask for it," Carter said.

Yuan mumbled something incoherently as he turned back to unpacking. The morning continued as the students emptied their bags. Carter hung up his map on the wall beside his bed, while placing the various stones and shells on his bed stand. Yuan hung a large poster above his bed, which showed a few famous hunters and huntresses. Raphael only unpacked his clothes and stuck them in the closet with everyone else's, leaving the rest of the bags contents unseen and stuffing it under his bed. Sam was the only one with more than one bag, one of which was filled with awards and trophies and she displayed them on her portion of the wall and desks.

As Carter was storing the team books onto the shelf under the window, he came across a small binder in his pile of books. "Hey Yuan, check this out," he said after he opened the binder.

Yuan walked over to look over his shoulder to see the book filled with collectors cards. "Dude, nice! You've still got your Hunters cards! We can totally play together now!" He exclaimed.

"I didn't even know I still had these," he noted as he flipped through the pages. "It's been awhile."

As Yuan pulled out his own binder Sam walked over to the boys curiously. "What are you guys talking about?" She asked.

"Nothing!" Carter exclaimed, quickly closing the book and looking embarrassed.

Yuan however had a different response. "Only the greatest card game ever. Check this out!" And he showed Sam a few of the cards.

"Isn't that the nerdy card game that little kids play?" Sam asked as she looked over the cards.

"No!" Yuan burst out defensively. "It's a very complex turn based card game that involves only the best strategy and tactics!"

"Suuuure," Sam smirked, walking away. "I'll just leave you to your 'advanced game' that's only for ages 7 and up," she remarked, glancing back to Yuan's poster with the small age rating at the bottom.

"Thanks for the support," Yuan grumbled as he turned back to Carter.

"You were the one who showed her the cards," the boy mumbled. "I would have been fine with her not knowing."

As they finished unpacking team CYRS stepped back to admire their work; the small dorm room already looking more like a home. "Not half bad, if I do say so myself," Yuan stated.

"Yeah, I could live here for four years," Carter agreed.

Sam stepped forwards and turned to the three boys. "Alright, I think it's time we set some ground rules."

"What? Why?" Yuan asked.

"Because I'm the only girl on this team. And considering we all just barely met, I don't trust any of you. Especially you." She growled, looking at Yuan.

"But Carter's the leader! He should make the rules, right?" The blonde boy turned to the team leader.

All eyes turned as Carter, who looked surprised to suddenly be pulled into the conversation. "Uh, well, she's kind of right. If she wants to make a suggestion, I'm open to hear it. What about you?" Carter asked his partner. Raphael simply shrugged and leaned against the wall.

"Doesn't talk much, does he?" Yuan whispered to his friend. The Faunus turned his head over to the two, giving a glare that suggested he heard the comment.

"Alright," Sam began, grabbing the other's attention once more. "First off, I get the bathroom in the morning. Whenever I want, in fact. No questions asked. Second, no one touches the trophies. Third, that portion of the room," she motioned to the area around her bed. "Is mine. No one else's. Four, like I said, I'm not quite ready to trust any of you yet. Particularly your combat skills."

"But we fought together in the initiation," Carter chimed in.

"True, but that was only one fight," Sam retorted. "I don't want any weak links slowing me down. You'll need to prove your worth."

"Hey, but you and I fought together before that final fight," Yuan protested.

Sam turned her head and raised an eyebrow at the boy as she spoke. "The only other fight we were in was against that one Borbatusk, and we all know how that ended."

"It got the jump on me!" The boy objected. "How was I supposed to know there was an entire herd?!"

Sam was about to retort back when the group heard what sounded like yelling from outside the dorm. Carter opened the door and poked his head out, and the sound continued from the room labeled OWTR across the hall. "That sounds like... Tiffany?" Sam wondered aloud.

"We should probably check on them," Carter said, knocking on the door. Sam stood next to him along with Yuan, while Raphael stayed in the dorm room, seemingly uninterested.

As Carter knocked on the door they heard someone walking over on the other side while the yelling continued. The door swung open to reveal Oliver, who brightened up as he saw the others. "G'day mates! Glad to see ya! Get everything unpacked already?"

"Yeah, just about," Carter replied. "We just came over to see what all the commotion was about."

"Ah, that," Oliver shoulders slouched. "They've been like that all morning. The yelling's new though." The three looked over the boys shoulder into the dorm. Tiffany was screaming her lungs out at William, while Rowan was fruitlessly trying to ignore the exchange.

"I refuse I live in the same room as you!" Tiffany screamed at William, who was completely calm, "Especially not if you believe that I'll let you fill our bookshelf with that garbage!"

"My dear, this is not garbage," the writer said, picking up one of the books from the pile around him. "These are all my most famous novels and poems, and I never live anywhere without my most known works."

"It's ALL of your works!" Tiffany retorted. "And stop calling me dear!"

"Soooo," Carter said, turning back to Oliver. "Seems like you've got everything under control, so I think we should probably go..."

"C'mon mate," the boy whispered. "Don't leave me with those two!"

"You've got Rowan though," Carter said as he and his teammates backed away from the door.

"She's not enough! You've gotta-" but the door was already closing on the boy, and he was cut off as it snapped shut.

"How long do you think they'll be like that?" Carter asked.

"Well, knowing Tiffany, I'd say the next five years," Sam responded.

"But we're here only for four," Yuan said, confused.

"Exactly," She stated as she walked back into their dorm. The two boys stayed in the hall, looking around at the hallway designated for the first years.

Yuan looked down one end of the hall at the intersection with two doors. "Looks like those are the showers," he said. He looked towards the label at the opposite and suddenly looked surprised and happy. "Dude, we've got our own lounge!" And Yuan sped over to the door.

Carter followed as the blonde boy opened the door and saw a large room. "Woah," He marveled, Impressed. The room had two windows opposite the door, and a small television sat on a stand in the corner of the room. A few couches and beanbag chairs faced the television, along with a low coffee table. At the other end of the room was a kitchen, complete with an oven, a wrap around counter, a fridge, and cabinets filled with plates and various cooking tools.

"I could get used to this!" Yuan sighed happily as he fell into one of the beanbag chairs.

The door opened behind Carter and he turned to see team KONJ entering the lounge, looking just as Impressed. "Duuuuude!" Chad exclaimed. "Radical!" and he slouched into one of the chairs as well. Norem knelt down to take a look at the television.

Opal bounced around, looking at every little detail as Kyla walked over to the kitchen area and inspected it. "It's not much, but I can work with it," she observed.

"You cook?" Carter asked.

Opal stopped and turned to face the boy. "Yeah she cooks! Kyla's got sooooo many awards, and she can make any kind of food perfect!"

"I wouldn't go that far per say..." Kyla murmured, slightly embarrassed. "And It's only a few medals..."

Suddenly a knock came from the door and team OWTR along with the rest of CYRS looked through the door. "C'mon guys, class is about to start," Sam declared.

"Who do we have first?" Yuan asked as he pulled himself out his chair.

Carter pulled a small schedule from his pocket and checked it. "Looks like we've got Grimm studies with professor Port first."

Yuan brightened up at the mention of the name. "Right! I almost forgot! This is gonna be awesome! We get to be taught by one of the greatest hunters of all time, and my favorite card! Do you think he'll sign my platinum edition foil card of him?" He said excitedly.

"Maybe?" Carter said. "We'll have to see when we get there." And the students left the lounge to change into their uniforms and headed off to their first day of class.

* * *

_so just in case any of you were confused about the layout of the rooms, this is the basics of it: four dorm rooms, each with a closet and bathroom. They're connected by one hallway, two rooms on each side. At both ends of the hallway it splits off (to go outside and other floors and things). At one intersection is the showers, at the other a lounge. I added the lounge because I thought it would be a good place for small events and conversations. Long story short it'll be visited often._

_thanks for reading!_


	13. Chapter 9: Combat and Classes

_here's chapter 9, enjoy!_

* * *

It only took a few minutes of Port's class to break Yuan. The boy's eyes sagged as he tried to pay attention. He held a small playing card in his hand with a picture that was almost an exact replica of the professor giving a lengthy lecture in front of him. Carter sat beside the boy, prodding him to pay attention. "Hey, snap out of it," the leader whispered, nudging Yuan.

"But it's soooo boring!" The blonde boy complained.

"It's a school, what did you expect?"

"I thought it would be more, action-packed, ya know?"

"Shhhhh!" Sam hissed to the boys. "Pay attention!" She sat back at her seat and continued listening to the lecture as the two stopped talking. While Yuan grumbled Carter glanced over to Raphael, who looked just as entertained as Yuan. He sighed as he faced back to Professor Port.

"And so," the professor was saying. "With one fell swoop, I conquered the entire nest of monsters! Quite an impressive act, if I do say so myself! Now I know many of you are wondering what the moral of this story could possibly be. Well wonder no longer! It shows that a true Huntsman must be honorable! Dependable! Strategic, well-educated, and wise!" He paused and waited for applause, but the only clapping came from Opal, who had been barely paying attention. "So," Port continued, "who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

A few hands raised among the students, Sam's included, but only one voice rang out. "Well, obviously it's me," said Emmett, as he strolled down from one of the higher seats. "I am the best fighter here, after all."

The other hands lowered as the boy stepped next to Port. "As if..." Sam mumbled.

"Well then, we shall see! Prepare yourself, and face your opponent!" The professor exclaimed, gesturing to the large cage behind him. He went to retrieve his blunderbuss axe and stood by the cage as Emmett drew his weapon. The boy carried a huge lance, which he swung around easily with just one hand.

"Let's just get this finished, I've got places to be," the boy proclaimed, lugging the weapon over his shoulder.

"Now," Port said, raising his axe. "Let the match begin!" With that, he swung the weapon down, breaking the lock on the container. The door burst open, and a snarling Beowolf sprang out of the cage. The creature sniffed around before sighting Emmett, and growled as it charged him.

The boy smirked as the creature neared him. The Grimm lunged, but before it's claws came close to the boy, he attacked. Quick as a flash he brought the lance around, jabbing outwards. The Beowolf stopped, looking down at the weapon sticking into its chest. Emmett swung the lance with the creature along with it and slammed the Grimm onto the ground behind him, finishing it off. "Too easy," he smirked, shouldering his weapon once more.

"Splendid! Simply splendid! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Hunter in training!" Emmett returned to his seat, receiving praise from his team. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Make sure to read the assigned chapters, and stay vigilant! Class dismissed!"

The students began to mill out of the classroom into the hallway, team CYRS bringing up the end of the group. "Ugh, finally!" Yuan sighed. "So, oh mighty leader, what's our next class?" he asked, elbowing Carter in the side.

"Uhh," Carter pulled out a slip of paper containing their schedule. "It says here that we've got professor Goodwitch next."

"She was at our initiation," Sam noted.

"Maybe this class will be more interesting," Yuan hoped. "What does she teach?"

Carter looked back down at the paper. "Basic training and combat, but we're also supposed to get a tour of some of the school from her."

"Combat?" Yuan perked up. "Awesome! We're finally gonna get some action!" He grinned as the group headed off towards the next class.

* * *

Goodwitch's tour lasted for most of the day, ending back in the amphitheater. "Man, I didn't expect rocket powered lockers," Yuan whispered. "This school is getting better and better!"

"And the library's massive," Carter responded, glancing back at the professor giving a lecture to the students. Goodwitch was currently giving a lengthy list of the academy's rules whilst standing on the stage.

"And furthermore, no students are allowed outside their dorms past the curfew of ten o'clock." She stopped and looked around at the students in front of her, many of them looking extremely bored and tired from their first day. Goodwitch sighed, before speaking again. "As many of you may know, if you read the schedule, I teach most of the school's combat classes. As such, we will have quite a few sparring practices in order to test and hone your skills. Sparring will include single matches, team matches, and partner matches. Now, we may have time to do one match before class ends." She looked back around as the students shifted in their seats, now excited and giving the professor their fullest attention. "For today, we will have a two on two match with partners. Are there any volunteers?"

Many hands were raised, and Carter looked over to Raphael. The Faunus looked as if he had been barely paying attention, and seemed completely uninterested. Then a voice broke out among the crowd, as it had in Port's class. "I'll take that challenge." Emmett stood up, followed closely by Nyte.

Goodwitch raised one eyebrow at the two as they stepped onto the stage, but continued without question. "And the second pair?" She asked. Suddenly Raphael stood up, and Carter looked at his partner quizically. "Ah, excellent. Please step forward."

The two boys stood and walked through the small crowd onto the stage. "Why the sudden interest?" Carter whispered as they stopped on the platform. The Faunus didn't respond, instead giving full focus on the the two other students. His partner looked between them as it clicked in his head. "Ah, it's because of what he said earlier, isn't-"

"Now," the professor said. "Proceed!" And she stepped back as lights dimmed around the large room except for the stage, giving the students a spotlight.

Emmett and Nyte drew their weapons and smirked, completely confident. As Emmett shouldered his lance, his partner wielded two hook swords with a small spike on each handle. "Alright," Carter began, transforming his weapon to the swords. "We've got to work together on this. Emmett has a larger weapon, so he'll probably be slower. You should use your speed semblance to your advantage on him while I-" but before he could finish, the Faunus had already attacked, ignoring his words. Raphael struck out at Nyte, exchanging strikes with the blades on his gauntlets. "Or we could just attack without any plan at all..." The boy sighed, before charging at Emmett.

Back in the crowd the students clapped and cheered. "Yeah! Go team CYRS!" Yuan cheered, pumping his fist in the air.

"It's only half our team," Sam corrected, annoyed. She was staring intently at the battle taking place.

"Why so serious?" The blonde boy asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Tiffany interjected, sitting down in Carter's seat. "They don't work well together."

"How can you tell? They've only just met."

"Exactly," another voice said, and William took the seat were Raphael had been sitting. "Yet even so, their personalities are clearly opposing."

"Uhh, what do you mean?" Yuan asked, looking around to see were the two had come from.

"What he means mate," Oliver broke in, squeezing alongside the others. "Is that Raphael doesn't seem like the kind of person to take orders, or work well in a team at all."

Then Rowan showed up as well, making Yuan even more confused as to where the entirety of team OWTR had come from. "It also doesn't help the fact that even though Carter is a good leader, he doesn't have the authority or assertiveness to influence his partner." she stated.

"But he got us to work together at initiation," Yuan countered.

"Correct, but I believe that may have just been in the heat of the moment." William replied. "Don't you agree, my dear?"

"Shove off." The axe wielder responded, keeping her eyes on the fight.

"Something on your mind?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, I was hoping that Emmett would just be all talk," she huffed. "It's disappointing that I'm wrong."

"Me too," Sam sighed. "I hate it when that happens."

"Oh c'mon," Yuan said. "He's not that good." But he soon ate his words as he saw Emmett knock his opponent back with his lance, still smirking. Carter steadied himself as the projection of his aura level above the stage showed he had half left. Raphael landed next to him, huffing and growling.

"Man, you guys are boring," Emmett complained. "At least try and put up _some_ kind of fight."

The Faunus charged, but was quickly knocked back by the lance. "Stop running in blindly and listen!" Carter said exasperatedly. His words were only met with a grey growl as the Faunus continued to ignore him.

"I say we finish this up, what do you think Nyte?" Emmett asked.

"Agreed," the boy replied, adjusting his glasses. Emmett smirked and stabbed his weapon into the ground. His hands began to glow and spark as his partner raised his weapons. Nyte pulled the triggers on his weapons grips, and the spikes on the weapon shot out as small harpoons into the ceiling.

Carter's eyes widened as he saw the attack preparing. "Grab onto Nyte!" He ordered, running towards the hooked-swordsman. Emmett grasped the lance embedded in the floor, and electricity shot into the metal stage. Nyte pulled himself out of harms way with the harpoons stuck in the ceiling, but Carter grabbed and hung from his foot to avoid the electric charge. Meanwhile Raphael completely ignored his partners warning and jumped at Emmett, intent on stopping the attack before it started. Emmett sneered and pulled the lance from the ground, smacking it into the Faunus midair and shocking him. Raphael was thrown back, small sparks emitting from him as he landed in a heap on the side of the stage.

Nyte shook Carter off as the electricity ceased, the two landing back on the stage. He drew his weapons once more and the two dual wielders clashed, swords flashing. Nyte hooked one of his opponents swords out of his hand, launching it up into the air. Carter jumped back to catch his weapon, barely able to block as well. He quickly changed tactics, joining his two weapons together to form the bladed staff. Carter spun the weapon around him, now out-speeding his opponent and gaining the upper hand. Nyte was surprised at the sudden change, and with one quick motion he was disarmed. As the two hook swords fell to the floor, the boy raised his hands in defeat as Carter held him at sword point.

The victory was short lived. As a lance smashed into Carter's side, flinging him back, Nyte smirked and retrieved his weapons. Emmett stood next to him. Carter staggered to his feet, but before he could make a move the lights flashed back on. "That's enough." Professor Goodwitch intervened, walking between the two pairs. "Students, as you can see, both Mr. Dawnark and Mr. Gepard's Aura have dropped into the red, which indicates that they are both no longer fit for battle." The bell signaling the end of the class rang out overhead. "This concludes today's lesson; remember to study the basic rules of combat and training. Class dismissed."

The class bustled out of the amphitheater, eager to return do their dorms. "Hey, you alright?" Carter asked as Raphael staggered to his feet.

The Faunus ignored him as he stormed off, a few sparks of electricity making tiny flashes in his hair. "Well that went well!" Yuan said, as he walked up to the stage along with Sam and team OWTR.

"Yeah right," Carter sighed, sitting on the edge of the platform. "Have you ever seen someone fail that spectacularly?"

"Umm, well..." Yuan stammered for a response, and was elbowed in the side by Sam.

"You did the best you could mate!" Oliver proclaimed, patting Carter on the shoulder. "Besides, it's only the first day."

"If it makes you feel any better, you both exceeded my expectations." Sam pointed out. "I was worried you would hold me back."

"Thanks, I guess?" Carter replied skeptically.

"Hey, what about me?" Yuan asked. "You haven't seen me fight as much, how am I on your grand scale of strength?"

"I don't need to watch you fight to know that you suck," she retorted. The others laughed as Yuan looked sheepish, Carter smiling once more. He looked around to see his partner leaving the amphitheater, still looking angry.

"_How am I ever gonna get him to trust me?_" Carter thought to himself, worrying how he would be able to lead his team in the future.

* * *

_***SPOILER ALERT* (not really a spoiler but just in case)**_

_so if you haven't gone and seen the RWBY volume 2 intro I highly recommend you go see it, it's on both YouTube and the RoosterTeeth site. But anyways in the trailer we finally get to see Mercury's weapon (the guy in the background with Cinder) and it looks like his weapon is shotgun boots, similar to ember cilia. Why am I bringing this up you ask? because that's exactly Chads weapon! I know it's not a big deal and a lot of people have probably thought of it, but I just think its cool that I designed a weapon that's even remotely similar to something in the real show. _

_Thanks for reading! _


	14. Chapter 10: On Your Terms

_Gah, writing a story at the end of the school year is hard. So many projects and exams. By the way, if you haven't read the trailers yet, I highly recommend doing so before reading this chapter *hint hint* but anyways, enjoy!_

* * *

A few days had passed since the first classes of the year. Raphael still refused to cooperate in any fashion with the rest of his team, despite their attempts. It was early in the day and team CYRS was in their dorm passing the time before class began, each in their own way. Yuan was shuffling through a deck of collectors cards, while Sam was polishing a few of her trophies. Carter was digging through what little luggage had yet to be unpacked, while his partner sat on the edge of the open window watching the sunrise.

"Hey, uhh, does this belong to anyone?" Carter asked, retrieving an old wooden walking stick from underneath a few of the bags.

Sam and Yuan shook their heads, but Raphael tensed up when he saw the object. Quick as a flash he snatched the stick from his partner. "It's mine," He said coldly. "Don't touch it."

Carter raised his hands up in defense. "Sorry, I didn't know." The Faunus placed the walking stick under his bed before returning to the window, his back to the rest of the room. Yuan raised his eyebrows at Carter, who shrugged in confusion as well.

* * *

Classes continued normally throughout the day, Raphael continuing to ignore all of his peers. The group sat in professor Oobleck's history class as the speedy professor gave a lecture.

"Now, as many of you know, it has been revealed that the once peaceful organization of the White Fang has recently gone rogue!" The professor lectured. "This is most likely due to the fact of the continuance of the discrimination of Faunus kind. This, combined with the human-Faunus war that happened only a few generations ago, has bred the violence that is ensuing today." He sped back to his desk, taking a drink of coffee. "Now, thought it may have been recent, have any of you been affected by or subjected to the recent attacks of White Fang?" he asked. A few hands were raised among the class, Yuan's included. Raphael glanced around, but remained silent and still. "Dreadful, simply dreadful!" Oobleck continued. "This is precisely what I am talking about! However, I always believe that youth have excelled at solving problems such as these. Now, do any of you have any thoughts on the solution to these most recent attacks?"

Many of the students looked around in confusion, unsure of an answer. As usual however, Emmett stepped up to the plate to give his opinion. "Well, we could always just put a leash on each of them," he snickered.

Oobleck shook his head as many of the other students shot dark looks at the boy. "Or, we could simply try and reason with them," Carter spoke. "Instead of just provoking them further."

Emmett gave a short laugh. "You can't reason with a bunch of animals, they barely understand English as it is!"

Raphael had had enough. He stood up, a scowl across his face. "Mr. Gepard, please sit down," the professor stated, and the Faunus unwillingly took his seat, arms crossed. Emmett and the rest of his team were laughing amongst themselves, but were stopped as Oobleck spoke again. "Mr. Daltroy, you may see me after class. Now, moving on!"

* * *

At the end of the class the students milled out of the room, Carter taking a glance at Emmett before running to catch up with his partner. "Hey, don't listen to what Emmett says. He's just some jerk," he said, placing a hand on the Faunus's shoulder.

Raphael shrugged him off as he continued down the hallway. "I don't need your pity," he stated, leaving Carter standing in the hallway.

"I'm not trying to pity you," he mumbled. "I'm only trying to help..." Suddenly someone behind Carter cleared their throat, and he turned to see the headmaster of beacon. "Oh, uhh, professor Ozpin, what are you..."

"You seem to be having some difficulties with your partner," the headmaster remarked.

Carter sighed. "Yeah, I know. No matter what I do, I can't seem to get him to listen. I've tried being friendly and talking to him about it, but it's just not working."

"Well, perhaps that is the issue."

"I... don't follow you sir," Carter said, confused.

"What I mean is, perhaps you should stop trying to fix this issue of your team, and instead try on his." When Carter continued to look confused, the headmaster continued. "Mr. Gepard doesn't seem like the kind of person to hold a long conversation, if one at all."

"But the only thing he ever does is fight."

"Then that is what he is most comfortable with. It may seem strange to you and me, but we must remember that no two people are alike. Each has a story to tell, and each has their own experiences that has shaped who they are." Ozpin turned away from Carter and began walking back down the hallway. "If you wish to understand the story, you must start at the beginning, on its own terms." And with that, the headmaster turned a corner and was gone, leaving Carter to ponder his words.

The boy thought for a moment, before an idea formed in his head. Quickly he hurried to his dorm, bursting through the dorm and making his teammates jump. He turned to his partner as he spoke. "Fight me."

"What?" Raphael asked, taken aback.

"You don't wanna talk, that's fine. Let's settle this your way. Plus, I know you've wanted to have a go at me ever since initiation."

The Faunus thought for a moment, then hopped down from the window were he was sitting. "Fine. But when I win, all of you quit bugging me."

"Fair enough," Carter replied. "But if I win, you at least try and participate with the rest of the team." The boy held out his hand to his partner.

"Fine," Raphael said, shaking the boys hand. He turned and briskly walked out of the dorms, heading to the school training ground.

Yuan pumped his fist into the air in excitement. "Awesome! Finally gonna have some more action! I'm so getting the other teams to come watch this!" And he ran out of the room as well.

Sam walked over to Carter, hands on her hips. "So, what exactly is this supposed to accomplish?" she asked.

"I talked with Ozpin a little while ago. He said I should try and solve this on Raphael's terms."

"So you're challenging him? Again, how is that supposed to help?"

"Just watch and see," Carter assured her. "It'll be fine. I hope," he spoke the last words under his breath, not unnoticed by Sam.

She sighed. "Just try not to hurt each other _too_ badly. I still need you both in order to pass the next four years," Sam smiled, giving a light punch on her leader's arm.

"Gee, thanks for the support," Carter replied sarcastically, smiling as well. The two headed down to the training ground, doubt in the back of Carter's mind for what he was about to do.

* * *

Beacon's training ground had an impressive amount of equipment, from training dummies to a massive climbing wall. At the side of the grounds stood a small circular arena, seats lining the hill on one side. The sun was beginning to set, and the lanterns had just recently turned on. Teams OWTR and KONJ along with the other half of CYRS sat along the seats of the arena, eagerly awaiting the fight. Opal and Kyla had even haphazardly thrown together a small banner, with Carter's name misspelled in glitter glue.

Raphael and his partner stood at either end of the arena, Oliver in the center as the referee. "Alright mates, I want a clean fight. The winner is called when someone either reaches low on their aura level, or steps out of the ring. Carter, are you ready?" He asked, and Carter nodded his head. "Raphael, are you ready?" The Faunus's response was to extend the blades on his gauntlets and to take a combat stance. "Alright, and three... two... one... begin!" And he hurried back to take his seat.

The Faunus sped forwards and attacked, barely leaving time for Carter to transform his weapons into swords and block. Raphael landed behind him and struck once more, but was parried away by the broadswords. Now Carter attacked, swinging his weapons in a long arc and driving the Faunus back. He rushed forwards and swung again, but met only the bracers as Raphael blocked the attack. The attacks had pushed The Faunus towards the edge of the ring, and closer still. He lunged forwards and jumped Carter, landing behind him and attacking. His partner spun around, blocking the strikes and swinging some of his own.

Raphael changed tactics, jumping backwards and transforming his weapon. The bracer's blades were replaced by the guns, and he fired a barrage at his opponent. Carter quickly clicked his weapons together into the staff and spun the weapon in front of him, deflecting the bullets. Raphael growled and activated his semblance as he ceased firing. Carter saw the attack coming and activated his semblance as well, becoming ridged as he glowed. The glowing Faunus sped forwards at blinding speed, striking at his partner from all angles. But the attacks had no effect, bouncing harmlessly on Carter's body.

Raphael jumped back as his semblance faded, breathing heavily. Carter deactivated his semblance as well, a drop of sweat on his forehead. The other teams cheered, Yuan especially. Carter glanced over to Sam as he made up his mind. He turned back to his partner, before dropping his weapons. Many of the students looked at him in confusion, along with the Faunus before him. Raphael shrugged it off as a trick however, and charged. Carter remained motionless, not even activating his semblance as the Faunus approached. His partner lunged, gasps coming from the crowed. But before the blade could cut through Carter, it stopped.

Raphael looked at him, frustration forming on his face. He took a few jabs at him, but stopped before any hit. "What are you doing?!" He asked angrily. "Fight back!"

"No." Carter replied matter-of-factly. He turned to Oliver, who looked as baffled as the others. "I forfeit the match."

"Booo!" Yuan bellowed. "No quitting! To the death!"

"Hey!" Sam scolded, smacking her partner in the back of the head. "Be supportive!"

"Sorry..." The blonde mumbled, rubbing his head.

"Why?" Raphael asked, facing his partner. "_You_ challenged _me_. You started this."

"And I'm ending it. I don't want you to be forced into this team. It should be on your terms." Carter glanced at Sam before continuing. "When you're ready to join this team, to _really_ join, we'll be here for you."

Night had now fallen onto the grounds, the only light emanating from the lamps. The Faunus looked around at the other students on the stands, and finally back to Carter. Deactivating his blades, the Faunus put his hands into his pockets and walked off into the darkness towards the school.

A hand touched Carter's shoulder, and he turned to see Sam, along with Yuan trailing behind. "You gave it your best," she assured. "It was a good fight."

"I just hope I made the right decision," Carter sighed.

"I think you did. The rest is up to him."

Carter nodded, before turning to Yuan, eyebrow raised. "To the death?"

"I got caught up in the moment, okay?" The blonde boy blurted. "Don't judge me!"

"C'mon guys!" Kyla called. The other teams were heading back to the school. "We should make it back before curfew." The three turned and followed the other students back towards the school.

* * *

Carter sat on the windowsill of his dorm; Sam and Yuan were sleeping in their beds while Raphael was nowhere to be seen. He watched the stars and shattered moon as he mulled over the events from the past few days. Then, he heard the door opening behind him and he turned to see his partner walking into the room. He wasn't sure what to say, so he remained where he sat. Surprisingly though, the Faunus came to sit next to him on the windowsill, looking out into the stars as well.

"Listen," Raphael began, looking uncomfortable as he scratched his neck. "I... I'm sorry."

"Oh, umm, thanks?" Carter said, surprised by the apology.

The Faunus paused as he looked at the sky. "I thought about what you said. About joining on my terms. And to be honest, I'm not sure what those are anymore." Carter listened silently as his partner continued. "I mean you, you have friends like Yuan and Oliver. I... I've never had that."

"There must have been someone," Carter said. "You couldn't have gotten very far without anyone's help."

Raphael was quiet for a moment before he continued. "There... There was one person. But... He's gone now."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No. You deserve to know after all I've done."

"Do you wanna wait for the others then? You probably don't want to tell it twice."

"Actually, we're already awake," Yuan said, turning on the lamp. Carter and Raphael turned to see the other half of CYRS sitting on their beds, watching patiently.

"How long have you guys been up?" Carter asked.

"We never really slept," Sam replied. "We wanted to see what would happen."

"I... may have dozed off a bit..." Yuan mumbled.

"So, you were saying?" Carter said, turning back to his partner.

Raphael sighed and stepped from the window back into the room. He bend down and pulled out the old wooden walking stick and placed it on his bed as the rest of his team came to stand around it. He looked around at his teammates, who were eagerly waiting for the story, and he sighed once more."It all happened a few weeks ago..." And so Raphael told his teammates of his encounter with the White Fang and its leader. He also told them about Bonitas, and how the old dog Faunus had saved his life by sacrificing his own. "...and I realize now that he didn't want me to come here just to avenge him. I see now that he wanted me to come here to be safe." The Faunus concluded.

"Wow," Sam murmured, "I had heard about the White Fang attacks, but I didn't think they were this serious."

"At least you got out unscathed," Yuan pointed out.

"Not exactly," the Faunus replied, lifting up his pant leg. They could see a small scar on the side of his leg from the bullet wound.

"But you still got out alive," Carter said, picking up the wooden staff. "And that's what counts." He handed the staff to his partner.

The Faunus went to the end of his bed and hung the wooden staff on the wall. "And I have Bonitas to thank for that. He was... the only family I had, and he will be remembered."

Carter placed a hand on Raphael's shoulder, who didn't shrug it off as he usually did. "We're your family now. We're a team. And we won't let anything happen to each other." The Faunus gave a rare smile to the rest of his team as he nodded, the shattered moon and twinkling stars shining through the open window.

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_


	15. Chapter 11: Tales of Beacon

_So this chapters a little different than the rest. its more of a few shorter chapters all in one, since none of them were long enough to be adequate on their own. By the way, way to go RoosterTeeth and the community on reaching the Lazer Team goal in just 11 hours! I can't believe the RWBY voice acting and background team got taken so quickly, that would have been so cool to get (not that I have that kind of money). But anyways, enjoy!_

_P.S. These story's take place a few weeks after last chapter._

* * *

Secrets Untold

Moonlight beamed through the window of team OWTR's dorm. Most of the team was asleep, but one member lay awake, listening carefully to make sure her teammates were sleeping. Rowan crept out of bed when she knew the coast was clear, snatching her weapons before silently creeping out of the dorm. She looked around in the empty hallway, her fox ears straining for any noise. Quickly she snuck out of the dorm building and across Beacons grounds, heading for the training area. Unbeknownst to her, a shadow watched and followed silently through the darkness.

The stars glowed above the Faunus as she arrived at the training grounds. Setting up one of the combat dummies she prepared to train, but stopped dead when a voice spoke behind her. "It's a little late to be practicing."

Rowen whirled around to see a dark figure in the shadows, but she could still see the person's face thanks to her heritage. "Raphael? How did you know I was here?"

"You're not the only Faunus with sensitive hearing around here," the boy said, stepping out into the lamplight and tapping his ears. "I knew the moment you left."

"But why follow me?" she asked.

"Because I also know that this isn't the first time you've done this. You've been sneaking out for weeks, and I'm curious as to why," he replied, straight to the point.

"It's just a bit of extra training, nothing special," Rowan lied.

Raphael didn't buy it. "And why would you need extra training? You're just as good as the rest of us. You've probably even got the edge on some."

"I have my reasons!" she snapped. "I just... I'm sorry."

He stood silently, eyebrows slightly raised as he waited for her to say something else, but Rowan had gone silent. "Alright," he shrugged. "I won't pester," and he wandered over to another training dummy.

"What are you doing?" she asked as the boy stood by the target.

"Just training, nothing special," Raphael said, a slight smirk on his face. Rowan huffed and turned away to practice on her own dummy. She glanced back at the boy when he activated his semblance, and he suddenly sped around his target. His attacks were too fast for her to see and he stopped where he had stood before. A second later the dummy fell apart into pieces, completely destroyed.

The girl looked away with a "Hmpf" and drew her weapons. Without backing away she shot the dummy point blank, blasting it back. Before it could fly too far however, she swung her whip around, hooking it and quickly drawing it back. As it reached her she slashed out with the bladed handle of the pistol, decapitating the training dummy. She smirked back at Raphael as the head landed beside him.

"Alright, I take it back," the boy said as he picked up the head. "Maybe just a little bit sloppy."

"Oh really?" Rowan swung the whip around once more, hooking onto the head and bringing it back to her hand, narrowly avoiding hitting the other Faunus.

Raphael smirked again and glowed briefly, dashing forwards and back in the blink of an eye. He tossed the head in his hand a few times.

"Stop that," she said suddenly.

The boy blinked a few times, his smirk disappearing in confusion. "Sorry, you can have it if you want..." and he tossed the head to her, but it fell to the ground as she didn't even try to catch it.

"Not that," she replied. "Stop speeding around."

"My semblance? Why? Nothing's stopping you from using yours." Rowan looked away from the boy and muttered something under her breath, so low even the other Faunus couldn't hear. "What?"

"I don't have a semblance!" she finally burst out. "I wasn't born with one, okay?!"

They were both silent for a moment, the points clicking together in Raphael's head. "Then that's why-"

"Why I train every night," Rowen finished. "Because you all have these amazing powers, you with your speed, Sam with her strength, Will with his charm. And I don't. Discriminated for my race, and I can't even fit in with my own school."

"It's not that bad."

"Not that bad? There's never been a hunter in history without a semblance! Even regular people can have one! Have you ever met anyone without a semblance?!" She was close to tears now.

"Yes, I have actually," he answered.

Rowan stopped, shocked. "W-what?"

"He was a close friend of mine, actually. He was a Faunus, like you and me. An old man, named Bonitas. He didn't have a semblance either, but he was still one of the best fighters I ever knew. He saved my life plenty of times, and he never needed any kind of special ability. And neither do you." He walked over to the girl, raised his arms partially, then put them back to his side.

"What are you doing?" Rowan asked, sniffling.

"I'm, uh, still kind of new to this whole 'friend' thing. Do you, uh, need a hug?" He asked sheepishly.

The girl Faunus gave a small smile before briefly hugging the boy. "Thanks," she said, wiping her eyes.

"So, uh, who else have you told?" Raphael asked.

"Well, other than my family... you. And I'd prefer to keep it a secret, if that's alright."

"What about your team?"

"I'd rather have them figure it out on their own."

Silence returned again between the two, the stars twinkling above them. Raphael knelt down and picked up the practice dummy's head once more. "So... back to training?"

She smiled and nodded. "Sure."

* * *

_Again, big thanks to DeathByFabulousness for creating Rowan. Almost immediately after they showed me this character, I came up with this scene in my head, and I'm glad I'm finally able to get it into the story._

* * *

Defense vs. Offense

Carter and Raphael sat in their dorms one weekend, the Faunus cleaning his weapons while his partner read a newspaper. On the front page was the picture of a man in a bowler hat with the heading: "Roman Torchwick" along with a lengthy list of crimes committed.

Suddenly his Scroll vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see a short message from Oliver: "Come to training arena, you should see this."

He frowned at the vague message and spoke to Raphael on the other side of the room. "Hey Raph, something's happening at the training grounds, wanna go?"

The Faunus rolled his eyes. "Sure. But if it's another team building exercise, I'm leaving." The two made their way down to the training area, through the school's grounds filled with students enjoying the weekend.

As they arrived at the arena, they saw a sight similar to their own fight a few weeks ago. Teams OWTR and KONJ sat on the bleachers next to the arena, but were separated. The girls were on one end, while the boys sat on the other, and Carter saw why. Sam and Yuan faced each other on the battle field, but they held no weapons.

"What's going on?" Carter asked as he sat next to Oliver. Raphael took a seat next to him and leaned back, closing his eyes and seeming uninterested.

"Yuan said he could beat Sam in hand to hand combat," Oliver answered. Raphael snorted a laugh in the background. "One thing led to another, and it's become more of a boy versus girl thing."

Carter sighed. Sam and Yuan had never really got along, but it had only ever been empty threats and the occasional foot stomping (both done by Sam). "Hey guys!" Yuan called over to them. "Welcome to the party!"

The boys waved back, Raphael murmuring to his partner. "Five Lien he doesn't make it ten seconds."

"You're on," Carter replied. He had no doubt that his friend was about to get beaten, but he still had a little faith that he would last a bit longer than that.

"Dudes, you makin' bets?" Chad asked from a seat up, Norem sitting next to him.

"I believe he has a chance, albeit a small one," William said from his seat next to Oliver.

They turned back to the field as Yuan spoke to his opponent. "Alright, I'm gonna go a little easy on you, 'cause you're a girl and all."

"Gee, how gentleman-like of you. Thanks." Sam replied sarcastically.

"Yep, he's dead," Norem stated.

"Umm, can I take back my bet?" Carter asked.

Sam cracked her knuckles, the sound echoing across the entire training ground. Yuan charged forwards as the match began, fists raised. She easily sidestepped him, sticking out her foot. Yuan almost tripped out of the ring, but caught himself.

He turned back around and swung his fist, but Sam dodged and made a quick jab at his neck. Yuan coughed, holding his neck. Sam slammed her knee into his gut, and the boy doubled over. Activating her semblance she grabbed the scruff of his neck and threw him out of the arena. He landed in a crumpled heap, coughing and groaning from pain.

Cheering came from the girls side while many of the boys winced. "That was quick." Carter remarked, looking at a timer. "But, it was fifteen seconds."

"Shut up." Raphael replied, arms crossed.

"Is he... alright?" Oliver asked, looking over at the twitching blonde in the dirt.

"Oh no! I broke a nail when I BEAT YOU INTO THE GROUND!" Sam mocked. Yuan dragged himself over to the stands next to his leader.

"That went well," Carter said, trying to reassure the boy.

"Ugh, everything hurts..." Yuan groaned.

"So, who's next?" Sam asked, walking over to the boys. Her partner crawled away in fear and hid behind Carter.

Raphael stood up, volunteering and taking off his bracers. "Why not," He shrugged.

Sam nodded, smiling, and returned to her position in the arena. The Faunus went to stand at the other end, and the match began. Raphael immediately activated his semblance and sped forwards. But his opponent blocked all his strikes with surprising speed, delivering her own strikes that still hit the quick target. He sped around her trying to find an angle of attack, but she swung her arm, clotheslining the boy and sending him spinning out of the arena.

"Wow, that was even quicker than Yuan's," Oliver muttered. Raphael growled as he picked himself up off the ground, storming back to his seat.

"It was worth a shot," Carter assured as his partner sat next to him, arms crossed.

"Anyone else?" Sam asked, walking over once more, looking bored.

"How about Carter?" Yuan mumbled.

"Uh, no thanks. I choose life," the swordsman said, declining.

Then he was pushed forwards from his seat, Raphael whispering; "If I go, you go." He almost ran into Sam, but stopped himself.

"Uhh..." He laughed nervously as Sam looked up at him, waiting.

"Well? Are you gonna, or are you scared?" She asked, eyebrow raised. A series of "Oooooo's" came from the audience.

Carter sighed. "Sure, let's get this over with." The two took their positions on either side of the arena, facing each other. Nothing happened as each one stood, waiting for the other to attack.

"Well? What are you doing?" Yuan called. "Fight!"

Sam turned to her opponent, but he still refused to attack first like the two before him. She rushed forwards, faking a left strike but going with a right. Carter brought up his arms in defense, blocking the attack. She continued to make strikes, but he stood his ground, never attacking and staying on the defense. They both even activated their semblance's, but the endurance and strength evened each other out.

But just as Sam had pushed Carter back towards the edge of the ring, she began to show signs of tiring. That was what Carter was waiting for, and as she punched again, her strike was slower and less powerful. He caught the fist, and before she could react, twisted so she was pulled forwards past him and out of the ring. She stopped, looking down at her foot out of bounds in shock.

A few seconds passed as everyone processed what had just happened, until the boys side of the stands began to cheer. Carter held out his hand to Sam. "Good match."

She looked at him for a moment, thinking, then chuckled and shook his hand. "I suppose I should give you more credit."

"Yeah well, you know what they say; a good defense makes a good offense." Carter replied. The rest of the teams came down onto the arena, congratulating and talking about the fights. The group began their way back towards Beacon, Carter walking beside Raphael. "You still owe me," he smiled.

"I owe Yuan ten lien after that fight," the Faunus replied.

"Wait, you bet against me?" The boy asked, a little offended.

"Don't act surprised, we were all thinking it. But on the plus side, I think you definitely made an impression," he said with a knowing smile, jerking his head behind him.

Carter glanced back to see Sam looking at him, but she quickly looked away. "Wait, what do you, how...?" He looked back to the Faunus, but his friend was already gone, towards the front of the group talking to Rowan, a smirk still on his face.

* * *

Rainy Day

Rain pattered onto the window of the first year student lounge. A news broadcast was playing on the small television. "The White Fang has continued its attacks on Vale and the other three kingdoms of Vytal. Three shootings have occurred just in the past week, killing seven people and injuring dozens. We'll have more on the story later today. In other news, an entire airship has been stolen from the Vale airports yesterday morning. Many believe this to be the work of the White Fang, but officials are baffled oh how-" Yuan clicked off the TV.

"Ugh…" he groaned. "I'm boooored. And there's nothing good on!"

"You've said that already," Sam said, annoyed. "Five times."

"Because I'm bored! Everyone's off and doing things!"

"It's only half of each of the teams," Kyla chimed in. "And they'll be back soon."

"I know, but it's _who's_ gone," Yuan continued. "Me and Carter were gonna teach Oliver how to play Hunters, but now they're both not here!"

"Why didn't you do it yesterday?" Kyla asked.

"Because I was too busy dying," he replied, glancing over at his partner.

"Oh calm down drama queen," Sam replied. "You were the one dumb enough to challenge me, remember?"

"You could have gone easy on me!"

"Like you did with her?" Tiffany snickered.

"It was rigged I tell you! Back me up here Will!" Yuan said, looking over to the only other boy I the room.

The writer looked up from his notepad. "I beg your pardon? What was the question?"

"Yesterday's fight was close, right?"

William thought for a moment before replying. "In any battle, strength will only bring you part of the way. If the fight is to be won, one must have an aptitude for strategy as well." Yuan smirked at the girls, that is until William continued. "Unfortunately, you were outwitted the moment you challenged your partner."

"Ha," Sam boasted.

"Thanks for the support," Yuan said sarcastically, sighing and leaning back on the couch.

"Oh!" Opal suddenly exclaimed, springing from her seat and waiving her hand. "I know! I know I know I know!"

The rest of the students in the room looked confused. "Umm…" Yuan said. "Know what?"

"We could all play a game! And then you won't be bored anymore!" Opal concluded, sounding very proud of herself for coming up with the idea. "And while we do that, Kyla can make some food!"

The others looked skeptical, but Kyla shrugged. "If we want to pass the time, I suppose it could work. I haven't cooked in a while, so it'll be fun to do it again."

Her younger sister looked eagerly back at the remaining students. Sam sighed. "Alright, what are we playing?" she asked.

"Yes!" Opal cheered. "We could play tag, or hide and seek!"

"Wouldn't we need to go outside for those kind of things?" Tiffany pointed out, looking out the window at the pouring rain.

"Not to mention that those are kind of childish games…" Sam muttered.

"We could play inside! There's plenty of room in the school. Pleeeeaaaase?" Opal pouted.

Kyla wasn't surprised when the hunters and huntresses in training cracked under her sister's puppy dog eyes. "Gah, fine. But enough with the look!" Yuan pleaded.

"YAAAYYY!" the younger sister cheered once more.

"I'll get started on dinner. It should be ready by the time the others get back," Kyla said, walking over to the kitchen.

"Not it!" Opal yelled, touching her finger to her nose.

"Not it," Yuan said closely after her.

"Not it!" William and Tiffany said together.

Sam looked around in confusion. "Wait, what?"

"Sam's it!" Opal declared. "Close your eyes and count to one hundred!" and she sprinted out of the room, followed closely by the others.

"Ummm," Sam said, looking confused.

"Never played hide and sneak tag before, have you?" Kyla asked, pulling out a few knives.

"Don't be ridiculous, of course I have. It's just been awhile."

"Mhm," Kyla answered as she chopped vegetables.

It was then that Sam finally noticed something strange. "Wait, how are you doing that?" she asked, pointing. Various pots and pans floated around Kyla, and the knives cut the food themselves as the cook looked over a recipe book.

"Oh, this? It's my semblance, polarity."

"You have polarity? That's amazing! It's incredibly rare and powerful in battle!"

Kyla shrugged. "I don't really use it to fight, only to cook. In fact, the only reason I ever trained to become a huntress was because Opal wanted to be one." Sam gave her a questioning look. "Don't get me wrong, now that I've done it for this long I've learned to love it, but it never hurts to have more than one dream.

"I suppose…" Sam replied, thinking.

"You better start counting. Your hundred seconds are ticking by," Kyla smiled, turning back to the food. "Wouldn't want the others to be kept waiting."

The warrior sighed and closed her eyes, and began counting, the cook humming as she readied the food.

* * *

"Man, what a workout," Carter sighed, stretching as he walked through the hallway.

"I still can't believe they made us do that training exercise in the rain," Oliver complained. "I'm soaked to the bone."

"It was still pretty awesome though," Chad replied.

Carter stopped in front of the door to the lounge and sniffed the air. "Something smells good," he said. Then they heard a large crash from the room, and he quickly opened the door. "Ummm…"

"Oh, welcome back," Kyla said with a half grimace. The room was in shambles, one of the couches was completely overturned.

Tiffany and William lay groaning on the ground with Opal jumping up and down on them, exclaiming; "I won! You're it! You're it!"

Sam had Yuan in a headlock, the blonde boy begging for mercy. "Uncle! Uncle!"

"You cheated that last round and you know it!" his partner was saying.

"I made dinner…" Kyla murmured, gesturing to a large steaming pot beside her.

"Uhh, thanks," Carter replied, still unsure how to respond to the carnage.

"I'll let you handle this one mate," Oliver said, patting his friend on the back and walking around the carnage to the food.

"Yeah, good luck," Raphael added, walking with Rowan and the others to the food.

Carter sighed and went to go help Yuan escape his partner, the rain still pattering on the window.

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_

_P.S. I'm coming up to the end of the first volume/season of my story, I will be finishing it before or during the first episodes of RWBY volume 2 come out. I'll probably start up again either after the volumes over or when it gets close_


	16. Chapter 12: Semblance

_Here's chapter 12! I know it's late, I ran into some complications (I'm currently camping and posting this from a wifi shack). But I finally got this chapter up, along with the third short story from last chapter (which I highly recommend you go read before continuing onto this chapter)._

_Enjoy, and sorry for the wait_

* * *

Early in the morning Glynda Goodwitch stood on the stage of Beacon's amphitheater. A small crowd was assembled in front of her, listening as she spoke. "And so," she was saying, "Semblances have been an important part of being successful hunters and huntresses. As a team you must recognize each others abilities, so I want you all to get into groups and familiarize yourselves with your fellow classmate's semblances. I will return soon to check on your progress," and she stepped off the stage and left the amphitheater.

"Looks like I finally get to show off," Yuan bragged as he got up and stretched.

"I wouldn't bet on it," Sam retorted, standing as well. Team CYRS met up with OWTR and KONJ as they usually did, the large group gathering off to the side of the amphitheater and making a circle.

Carter looked over to see Raphael talking to Rowan; the girl Faunus looked uncomfortable for some reason. He was about to ask what was wrong when one of the group members spoke. "So mates," Oliver began. "Who's first?" The students looked around at each other, all wearing their combat gear and armed with their weapons.

"Oh! Can I go first?" Opal asked, jumping in excitement. "Please? Pleeeease?"

"Uhh, sure," Oliver replied.

"Yes!" The girl exclaimed, running into the center of the circle. "Okay, who wants to punch me?"

The other students looked at each other in confusion. "What?" Yuan asked.

"It's her semblance," Kyla said, shaking her head in her hands. "She absorbs kinetic and volatile energy and is able to rebound it back."

"Again, what?" Yuan asked, dumbfounded.

Sam rolled her eyes. "It means she can take in energy and send it back."

"Oooh, cool," the boy replied, earning another eye roll from his partner.

"Sooo..." Opal urged. "Who wants to?"

"I don't think that will be necessary," Kyla interjected. "I think a simple explanation should do."

"Awww, but why?"

"Because the last time you activated your semblance you brought down a building."

"You're no fun," Opal pouted, sulking back into the group.

"Alright then," Oliver said. "Who's next?"

"Me," a voice spoke. The students looked around for the voice, until Norem materialized in the center of the circle.

"Whoa, that's awesome!" Yuan gasped. "Even your clothes and weapon turn invisible!"

"Only if I'm touching them when I activate my semblance. Anything I touch after I turn invisible stays the same," Norem replied. "So it's only partially effective."

"Still, it's really rare," Sam pointed out. "Very few people have that ability, and it's really useful."

Norem returned to stand with his team, his partner taking his place. "Alright! I'm up next!" Chad said happily, flipping into the center of the circle. "My semblance is... friction change!" He looked around for any kind of response. A cricket chirped nearby.

"Umm, what?" Tiffany asked.

"I'm confused as well," William added. "Perhaps an explanation or demonstration is needed?"

"Oh, well," Chad looked around for something he could use, but decided on explaining it instead. "It's like, I can change the resistance of a surface. Like back when we were running from that giant Borbatusk, I made the platform have less friction so that it slid faster."

"Ohhh," many of the students nodded their heads, finally understanding.

"I guess I'll complete the team," Kyla said, stepping into the circle as Chad left it. She drew her falchion. "My semblance is polarity," and her hand glowed as the weapon floated into the air.

"I've never seen you use it in battle," Norem observed as the others gawked at the floating weapon.

"I only use it to cook, but maybe I'll use it in battle one day if I have to," she replied, retrieving the sword and sheathing it.

"Alright folks, it's time for the main act!" Yuan exclaimed, stepping forwards as Kyla left the circle.

"I didn't know the main event would be a clown," Sam snickered.

Her partner shot her an annoyed glance as he fished two red dust crystals from his bag. He fitted one of the crystals into his sword and placed one on the ground at the center of the circle. "Oh yeah? Laugh at this!" and his hand glowed as he snapped his fingers. The red crystal on the floor glowed briefly before erupting into flames, creating a bout of flame on the ground. The fire grew and shrank as Yuan controlled it. The flame died out after a few seconds, leaving a small scorch mark.

"Ah, so you can trigger dust's effects at long range," William observed. "Increasing and decreasing its effects. Impressive."

"You think that's cool? Check this out!" and Yuan raised his sword as the crystal inside it began to glow. The sword's blade caught flame, turning the weapon red. "How's that for an act?" he smirked at Sam

"Not bad, for a magic trick," Sam replied, stepping forwards. "But its nothing against my strength."

"Good luck showing it off when there's nothing to lift," Yuan pointed out.

"I think I can help with that," Tiffany interjected, stepping forwards and hefting her axe. "My semblance is weight change."

"Ooo, how does it work my dear?" William asked.

Tiffany raised her hand towards her partner, and the halberd in his hands began to glow. Suddenly the weapon dropped to the ground with William's hands stuck underneath, too heavy for him to pick up. "Like that," she smirked. "And don't call me dear."

The writer laughed nervously as he tried to pull his hands out from under the halberd. Tiffany handed her axe to Sam, who held it like a weight. The girl raised her hand once again as it glowed, her weapon glowing along with it. The axe began pushing down, and Sam began to glow as well as she strained to keep it off the ground.

"Oh c'mon," Yuan interjected. "How do we know you're not just pretending?"

"You wanna give it a shot?" Sam grunted, still holding the glowing axe.

"Yeah, it can't be that difficult," and he walked over to his partner.

"Here!" Sam exclaimed, handing the axe to the boy. Yuan gave a yelp as the weapon crashed to the ground, trapping his hands like William. "Still think I'm pretending?"

"No," he mumbled, pulling on his hands. "Alright alright I'm sorry! Help me out here!"

Sam thought for a moment before looking back down at her partner. "What's in it for me?"

He was starting to lose feeling in his fingers. "Gah, I don't know! I'll clean all your trophies for a week or something! Just get his off me!"

She continued to ponder his offer. "Hmmm... I don't know..."

"A month! Three months!"

"Agreed," Sam finally said, glowing and picking up the axe easily. "Three months of trophy cleaning duty it is."

"You kind if asked for that one," Carter whispered to Yuan as he came to stand next to him.

"Shut up. Do you know how many trophies she has? How am I supposed to clean all those for three months?!" he groaned, rubbing his hands.

"Shoulda thought of that before making the offer."

Tiffany pointed her hand at the axe and it stopped glowing as its weight returned to normal. She slung the weapon onto her back as Sam handed it to her. "Umm, darling?" William's hands were still trapped underneath his own weapon. "Could I be free as well?"

The girl walked over to her partner. "What's in it for me?" she asked, just as Sam had done.

"I could write you a love poem?"

"Eww, gross. Try again."

"Three love poems?"

"Ugh, you're hopeless," Tiffany said in disgust, waving her hand as the weapon stopped glowing. "Wouldn't want anything from you anyways."

"Alright, I'm up next!" Oliver announced, trying to keep the group going. "Unless any of you mates want to go?" he gestured to the rest of his team.

Rowan shook her head as William stood and dusted himself off. "I don't believe there's any way that I can exhibit my semblance, considering there are no Grimm around for me to charm," the writer observed. "The floor is yours."

"Well then, let me show you!" and he pulled one of his boomerangs from his side. He threw the weapon into the air, and it arced as it neared the top on the amphitheater, finally returning to his hand.

"Is it polarity, like sis?" Opal asked.

"Nope, try again."

"Are you really being cryptic at a time like this?" Yuan asked.

"I'm mixing it up mate. Here's another clue," and Oliver snapped his fingers. A slight ringing sounded through each off the students ears.

"It's sound waves," Carter realized.

"Bingo! Right on mate! I can control em',"

"What's your weapon got to do with it?" Tiffany asked.

"Everything! When my boomerangs are traveling through the air, they generate a small sound. I control that sound, bouncing and guiding the weapon, and bang! Back in my hand!"

"Clever," Sam complimented. "I would've never thought to use that ability like that."

"Why thank you," Oliver replied, taking a small bow. "Who's up next? How about you Raph?"

Raphael shrugged. "Sure," and he stepped into the ring. He looked around as the others waited for him to do something. He glowed, and suddenly sped around the amphitheater leaving behind only a blur. He reappeared in the small circle, the other students oohing and ahhing. "You're last, top that," he whispered to Carter, standing beside him.

"Alright, but do me favor. Shoot me," and Carter tossed his partner one if his pistols as he stepped forwards. The heads of the students all turned to him, eager to see his semblance. He glowed, and suddenly his body became ridged. The Faunus finally understood, and aimed the weapon and fired at his partners head. The bullet ricocheted off his glowing head and impacted on the ceiling, shattering one of the lights. "Oh, gosh, I'm sorry!" Carter stammered, deactivating his semblance and returning to normal. "I didn't think that would happen!"

"That was awesome!" Yuan cheered.

"I'm sure one light isn't that bad," Kyla reassured.

"Alright, that leaves just Rowan," Oliver said, turning to his partner.

The Faunus looked away; she seemed uncomfortable. "Well, actually, I-"

"You call those semblances?" A voice said, and Emmett and the rest of team ENVY broke their way into the group. "Pathetic."

"Excuse me?" Tiffany asked, enraged. "You think you can do better?"

"I know it, sweetheart. Nyte, show them," and he gestured to his partner. Nyte stepped forwards, weapon raised. With one swift motion he slashed his swords at the air as he glowed. Energy cut through the air as it left the blade, extending upwards before dispersing.

"Effective, but still not enough," William commented. "And by the way, no one calls my darling sweetheart but me."

"Oh, I didn't know you two were together," Emmett sneered.

"We are not together!" Tiffany exclaimed angrily, turning on her partner.

"My dear, I am merely trying to defend you!" the writer replied.

"I don't need defending! And stop calling me dear!"

"Man, you two are annoying!" The boy complained. "Veronica,

Do your thing."

The raven haired girl barely looked up from her scroll. "Hmm?"

Emmett snatched the device away, much to the dismay of the girl. "Use your semblance!"

"Fine!" Veronica stomped her foot and snapped her fingers at William and Tiffany. Suddenly the two stopped bickering, completely frozen.

"Oi! What did you do to them?" Oliver asked angrily, stepping up to the newcomers.

"Relax, they're fine," Emmett snickered, tossing the scroll back to its owner "Physically at least. They're scared stiff!" and he burst out laughing.

"Why, you!" Yuan stepped forwards to take a punch at the boy, but his fist was caught.

"Temper temper," the boy smirked. "Wouldn't want me to use my semblance, now would we?" His other hand sparked with electricity.

Suddenly a click sounded at the side of Emmett's head, and he looked to see the end of a gun barrel. "Hands off my friend. Now." Carter growled.

"Tch," Emmett looked over to Nyte.

The boy raised his weapon and took a step towards Carter, but was stopped. Raphael held a bladed bracer at his throat. "You're not going anywhere," the Faunus grunted.

"Veronica! Taupe! Do something!" Emmett called. The girl didn't even seem to hear him, while the boy seemed to be bored with the situation. The last member of team ENVY; Taupe Yale, was a short boy with dark slick hair that covered his sullen face. He wore black leather gloves on his hands which were stuffed in his pockets.

"Meh, whatever," the boy said sullenly, not moving. The rest of the teams stood awkwardly, watching the stalemate. William and Tiffany appeared to be shaking off the effects of Veronica's semblance.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!" Glynda Goodwitch burst out. All eyes turned to the professor who stood in the doorway. "Mr. Daltroy, let go of Mr. Encanto this instant! Mr. Hemlock, Gepard, and Perth, lower your weapons NOW!" The students did as they were told, terrified of the professor's wrath. "The four of you will report to the headmaster's office immediately!"

Yuan tried to intervene. "But they were-"

"Mr. Encanto, do you wish to join them?" The professor asked, silencing the boy. "Class is dismissed. The four of you, go. Now!" He entire class jumped, and quickly scrambled for the door. The four boys shot each other nasty glances as they began their trek to Ozpin's office at the top of Beacon.

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_


	17. Chapter 13: Ozpins Office

_Here's chapter 13! Next chapter will be the last of this volume/season (haven't decided what to call it yet) so be ready for the grand finally!_

_P.S. so this is my shortest chapter yet, but I feel its still got some promise, and its main purpose is to set up for the final chapter, so sorry anyways_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Carter had never realized just how tall Beacon's central tower was until he had ridden the central elevator. It led all the way to the top of the tower, where it stopped at the floor labeled "Headmaster's office". The four boys looked around nervously, until Carter raised his hand to open the door. But before he'd even touched the button a voice echoed from behind the door. "Come in," Ozpin said as the elevator opened into his office.

Raphael and his partner exchanged glances as they stepped into the room. The headmasters office looked more like the inside of a clock tower, with huge gears grinding and turning above them. The circular room was extremely spacious save for a desk towards the center of the room, behind which sat the headmaster himself on a gear-themed chair. "Sit," Ozpin instructed, not looking up from his Scroll as he motioned to the four chairs in front of the desk.

The students sat and waited for the professor to finish what he was doing. They couldn't see what was on his Scroll from where they sat, so they had nothing to do but wait. After a few minutes the door slid open again and Glynda Goodwitch stormed into the office. "Ah, professor Goodwitch," the headmaster greeted, shutting his Scroll. "I was wondering when you would arrive."

"Sir," Goodwitch began. "These four disrupted my class and put the rest of the students in danger. If I hadn't stepped in, these boys could have seriously injured each other."

The headmaster nodded. "Yes, I gathered that from the message you sent me. However, I would like to hear from these four," he said, turning back to the students. "So, can any of you tell me how this happened?"

All four boys began talking at once, each trying to talk over the other. "They started it!-"

"-It was just self-defense!-"

"-Not my fault!-"

"-He did it, not me!-"

Ozpin cleared his throat, silencing them. "Perhaps we should try one at a time. Carter, you may start. Raphael will follow." And so, the two told the headmaster about the events that had transpired. Ozpin listened silently, not even asking any questions. When they finished, he turned his attention to Emmett and Nyte. While Carter and his partner had been completely truthful in recounting the events, the leader of team ENVY and his partner had a slightly different story to tell.

"And then," Emmett was saying. "Just as we were starting to get along, they attacked us! We simply tried to defend ourselves, honest!"

"Mhm," Ozpin said, nodding his head. "Well it seems that you four are telling two very different stories. Perhaps I should review the video once again," and he opened up his scroll to reveal what he had been looking at earlier. On the screen were multiple recordings of the amphitheater, each showing different points of what had happened.

"What?!" Emmett sputtered fearfully, standing from his chair.

"Wait, you had footage of what happened, but you still asked us? Why?" Nyte asked.

"To give you the chance to be truthful," the headmaster replied.

"B-but that's not fair!" Emmett argued.

"It is very fair. And I don't think you should should be arguing, Mr. Daltroy, considering your recount was the least similar to the actual events that transpired." Emmett sat back down, grumbling. "As punishment, you, Nyte, and Veronica will be receiving three weeks worth of detention, and additional punishment that has yet to be decided."

"What?!" The boy asked, furious once again. "But we only got into one fight!"

"Correction," Ozpin said. "Fighting, using your semblance and weapons against your fellow students, and lying to the headmaster. Pray I don't increase your punishment further. Now, professor Goodwitch, could you please escort Emmett and Nyte back to their dorm, and also inform Veronica of her punishment."

"Of course," the professor replied. "Come along you two," and she led the two boys out of the office, who were throwing back glances at the other students that suggested they would not be forgetting about his anytime soon.

As the door closed Carter looked back to the professor. "Uh, what about us sir?"

"As honorable as your intentions were, you both still raised your weapons against other students, and I cannot allow you to leave without punishment." The headmaster replied.

"I thought you might say that..." Carter sighed, hanging his head.

"As it so happens," Ozpin continued. "A request recently came in that may be suitable for you two and Yuan."

"Wait, why Yuan? He wasn't-"

"Mr. Encanto attempted to attack Emmett, and as such he is to be treated the same as you two, even if professor Goodwitch didn't see."

"And Sam?" Carter asked tentatively.

"She was wise enough to stay out of the fight, and will be treated as a simple witness along with teams OWTR and KONJ. However she may choose to join the three of you, if she wishes. Now, onto the request."

* * *

The teams of OWTR and KONJ along with Sam and Yuan had gathered in CYRS's dorm, and were waiting nervously for the other half of CYRS to return. No one had spoken for awhile, each worried for their friends. The silence was broken when the door opened and Carter and Raphael entered the room.

"They're back!" Opal exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

"Whoa, what are you all doing here?" Carter asked.

"We were worried about you mate," Oliver replied.

"So, what happened with Ozpin?" Yuan questioned.

"Emmett and Nyte got three weeks of detention, Veronica too. By the way, how are you two doing?" Carter asked as he turned to William and Tiffany. "After what she did to you."

"Fine now," the girl replied. "But it was awful when it happened. I didn't know semblances like that existed..."

"Words cannot describe what we went through," William agreed.

"Emmett said you guys were 'scared stiff'" Kyla noted.

"Yeah, it was something like that," Tiffany replied. "All I remember was feeling this unbearable sense of dread, so much that I could barely even breathe."

"How awful," Kyla murmured. Many of the other students nodded in agreement.

"Well, at least they got what was coming to them," Yuan intervened. "Three weeks of detention should quiet Emmett down. Plus, you guys didn't even get in trouble!"

"Not exactly," Carter admitted. "We got in trouble too for using our weapons against them,"

"Ah, well, sorry about that," Yuan replied. "I guess beggars can't be choosers."

"You got in trouble too," Raphael added. "For that punch you threw at Emmett."

"What?! Aww c'mon!" the blond boy cried.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking," Sam intervened. "What's the punishment? It doesn't sound like you got detention."

"We didn't," Carter replied. "We got guard duty. Apparently there's some sort of presentation going on at a facility. Some scientist guy is going to be showing off a new weapon to the Schnee dust company. The company owner and his granddaughter will be there, so they've asked Beacon to provide protection. It's supposed be pretty boring, just usual routine stuff. I don't really see how it's punishment."

"That's it?" Yuan asked. "That... actually doesn't seem that bad."

"Sounds more like a field trip if you ask me," Sam added. "So is it just you three, or can I come too?"

"Ozpin said you could come if you wanted to, but that since you didn't actually fight it wasn't-"

"I'm going," she interrupted.

"Oh, uh, okay," he stammered. "But, why do you want to go?"

"Because you three need me. I'm the strongest one on this team, no offense."

"None taken," Carter and Raphael replied.

"I take offense!" Yuan protested.

Sam ignored him as she continued. "Plus, I'm fairly sure none of you have ever done something like this. I'm the only one with experience, so that basically settles It."

"Point taken," Carter answered. "Alright, you're in. We leave this weekend, so make sure to pack extra ammo and dust," he said as he looked around at his team. "In a way, this is kind of like our first mission together. Let's hope it goes smoothly."

* * *

The moon was shining brightly over the White Fang headquarters on the other side of Vale. Vito paced around in his small office, a flag bearing the group's symbol hanging on the wall. As he passed into the moonlight his face could be seen; the bandage had been removed to reveal a large scar running across his left eye. He stopped as the door opened and Bruno stepped in, the large bear Faunus taking up a considerable amount of space.

"Are the preparations complete?" Vito asked, walking over to stand behind his desk.

"Yes," the bear Faunus replied. "But... there's been a problem"

"What kind of problem?" the wolf Faunus growled.

"A group of Beacon students is coming to the presentation as security."

"I thought I told you to intercept that message!"

Bruno shrunk away from the White Fang leader, despite his size over him. "I tried, but the school's security was too hard to crack. I barely know how to do that kind of stuff anyways."

Vito sighed as he sat behind the desk. "Should have asked... no, he's far too busy," he mumbled. "Fine. I'll deal with them when I get there. You will stay behind and prepare for the weapons to arrive when I get back. Our client is still expecting us to deliver, and I've put too much time and effort into this deal for some group of kids to mess it up. I don't care how strong or powerful they're supposed to be. I'll cut them down one by one if I have to." He stood and walked out of the room, Bruno close behind. The White Fang flag waved a bit as the door slammed shut behind them.

* * *

_Last chapter of volume/season 1 next week! I know it will definitely not disappoint._

_Thanks for reading!_


	18. Chapter 14: Old Wounds Made New

_Last chapter! let me tell you, I've really enjoyed writing this so far, and I want to say thank you all for reading through it. on another note, OMYGOSH the volume 2 trailer was amazing! more notes at the bottom, but for now, enjoy!_

* * *

Team CYRS sat inside of a bullhead as it sped across the sky. "Ugh," Yuan complained. "Are we there yet?"

"You've asked that already," Sam replied, annoyed.

"Well because this thing has no windows!" the blonde boy exclaimed as he gestured around at the inside of the aircraft. "How am I supposed to tell?!"

"Then why don't you go check the cockpit window!" the girl argued back.

"Because he got kicked out for hitting on the pilot," Raphael answered.

"Guys!" Carter interjected, stepping between the two. "We're here."

Both stopped and looked around. The bullhead had begun to slow, and a blinking light overhead informed them that the ship was landing. "Finally!" Yuan said, as the vehicle touched down and the doors opened. The students looked around in awe as a ramp extended down from the aircraft to the landing platform. The facility was located at the very peak of a mountain that loomed over the landscape. It had been built into the mountain, with antenna and hangers sticking out at various intervals of the mountaintop. The students stood on a large landing platform sticking out towards the top of the mountain. The sky was cloudy and dreary, barely any sunlight shining through.

As the bullhead closed and lifted off back into the sky, Carter saw doors opening that led onto the platform. Three men strode towards them from the facility, and as they neared Carter was able to get a good look at them. The first man looked to be the oldest, with his greying hair and beard. He wore a white lab coat like the other two, and had a strange technical looking device on a gold chain around his neck. The second man was actually a Faunus, with badger ears protruding from his messy black and white hair. The Faunus had a slight mad-scientist look, his glasses slightly askew. The third man was the most well kept of the three; clean shaven, and his white hair was combed neatly. He looked up from his Scroll as they approached the students, adjusting his glasses.

"You four must be the students from Beacon!" the first man said by way of greeting, shaking each of the student's hands. "Grand, simply grand! I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am to see you! The name's Bronze. Bronze Geppetto."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Geppetto," Carter began.

"Please, call me Bronze," the scientist interjected.

"Uh, alright. My name is Carter, and this is my team: Yuan, Raphael, and Sam. We're here regarding the request you put in."

"Yes, for the security. And I must say, you four certainly look the part! Excellent, excellent! Now..." Bronze looked around as if just remembering that the two other men were there. "Ah, of course! Allow me to introduce my two associates. This," he motioned to the Faunus, "is Colin Melis. He's an expert on mechanics and was an important part of our project."

"Greetings," the Faunus said in a rather high pitched voice as he gave a low bow. "So nice to have you."

"And this," Bronze continued, "is Eugene Smoke. He helped with the project as well and works at the Shnee Dust Company, and is an old friend to boot."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Eugene greeted, shaking the student's hands one by one. "I'm glad you were able to take time out of what I assume to be a very busy schedule to assist us today."

"Well, we're not _that_ busy..." Carter replied. "But we're glad to help."

"Excellent!" Bronze exclaimed. "Why don't we head inside and I can show you around my facility? Come come," and he led the group back towards the sliding doors that led into the mountain.

The interior hallways were sleek white and sparkling clean, with more doors leading off than the students could count. The hallway split and turned like a maze, forcing them to stick close to Bronze so as not to get lost. And all along the way the scientist explained what was behind each door. "This door leads to one of our many testing sections. That one in particular is where we test dust ignition. This door is where we store a few of our older experiments, best not explore in there. Ah, you'll find out what's behind that door after today's presentation, I assure you," he said, pointing to a much larger metal door.

As they turned yet another corner, they passed by a group of armed security forces bearing a snowflake-like emblem. "Uh, were those Schnee security guards?" Sam asked.

Bronze looked away from his explanation of another room. "Ah, yes it was. As you very well may know, the Schnee dust company owner himself will be arriving to witness the presentation. As a precaution, he's sent a few of his personal guards to look over the facility. Many of them are already stationed at the hangers. But rest assured, your services are still being highly anticipated. Most of the work has simply already been done for you."

"Great," Sam said sarcastically. Bronze seemed not to notice.

"Speaking of the company," the scientist continued, "they should be arriving fairly soon. Eugene?"

The man tapped his Scroll a few times before responding. "The Schnee airship should be arriving momentarily."

"Excellent! Let's go greet them shall we?" Bronze said excitedly.

As the group made their way towards one of the hangers, Carter walked beside Sam. "Hey, what's up? Isn't it good that the forces are here to help us out?" he whispered.

"In some ways, yes," she replied. "I just don't like my job being done for me. And... well let's just say that my family and the Schnee Dust Company don't always share the same views."

"Well hopefully we won't have any trouble," he reassured. "Everything will be fine."

Sam nodded, and they continued to the hanger. They didn't have to wait for long, as a large white airship floated into the facility soon after they arrived. As the airship touched down, a hatch on its side opened and a squad of armed guards marched out. Following close behind was the Schnee Dust Company owner himself. The man wore a white suit with a red dust crystal in its front pocket like a rose. He had white hair, his back was straight, and he gave off a sense of power. Beside him walked a young girl that looked to be around twelve years. Her white hair was held up in a ponytail and was the same color of her formal dress.

"Welcome, welcome!" Bronze greeted, stepping forwards. "It's an honor to have you here in the facility Mr. Schnee!"

"Indeed, I look forwards to seeing this new project you've talked so much about," the man responded. "Eugene, it is good to see you."

"And you as well sir, thank you," Eugene replied. "I hope you had a pleasant flight?"

"It was, though the weather could be better."

"And who might this be?" Bronze asked politely, looking to the girl.

"Yes, my granddaughter Weiss, heiress to the company," the Schnee owner replied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the girl said, giving a respectful bow.

"How very ladylike," Bronze remarked, before turning to the students. "Ah, these are the hunters from Beacon that we requested as extra security."

"Hmm," the man looked over each of the students one by one. He paused briefly for both Raphael and Sam, but made no comment. "Good. The more security the better, what with our current situation with the White Fang. Shall we continue?"

"Yes, of course. If you would please follow me, I'll be beginning the presentation soon," and Bronze took the lead once more out of the hanger. The squad of guards followed close behind, making Carter feel nervous.

The group entered the presentation room and looked around. The place looked to be one of the largest rooms in the facility that wasn't a hanger. The stage was towards the center of he room with the seats surrounding it, almost like a theatre in the round. Decorative metal panels lined the wall. Carter saw that a small crowd was already present and seated, consisting of important looking officials and scientists.

The security squad split up to cover the other entrances of the room, along with standing behind the seats all around the edge of the room. "Your seats are over there," Bronze pointed, talking to the Schnees. The man and his granddaughter went to sit in plush chairs that were situated slightly separate from the others and looked far more comfortable. A few more guards went to stand on either side of them.

"What about us?" Yuan asked. "Do we have seats?"

"Umm, well as security I would not think that you would need them, but if you believe that it would assist in your task I could certainly-"

"We're fine sir, thank you," Sam interjected.

"Excellent! Now, I must be going. We'll be starting soon!" and Bronze walked towards the stage along with Colin and Eugene.

"_What are you doing!?"_ Sam hissed at her partner. "We're here on a mission, not to relax! Focus!"

"Hey, you heard the scientist guy," Yuan replied as he leaned against the wall. "The Schnees already had this place flushed out. Plus, with all the guards around we barely have to do anything."

"The Schnee security force is good, but they've been known to make mistakes, even if they don't admit it. Just keep your eyes open," she ordered. "You two as well."

Raphael and Carter exchanged glances as Bronze began to speak into a microphone on the stage. Beside him stood his two associates and something covered by a tarp. Behind them were two large metal boxes. "Greetings, and welcome to my facility! Thank you all for coming today to witness this esteemed moment in history. This project that I'm about to show you is my life's work," he continued, walking over to the covered object. "This will change the world, I assure you. Now, without further ado, my greatest achievement!" and he pulled away the tarp. "Allow me to present, the AK-130 android!"

Many people in the crowd stared in awe at the device. The android was humanoid, it's body consisting of grey metal streaked with red. "Wow, an actual robot. I had heard that it was being worked on, but I never imagined..." Carter marveled.

"That is so cool!" Yuan exclaimed. "I wonder how it would look on a Hunters card!"

Bronze grinned at the approval of the crowd as he took off the chain around his neck. He plugged it into the side of the microphone, and a small hologram of the droid appeared overhead. "The AK-30 is the next biggest achievement in armed forces. Each possesses exceptional intelligence and learning capabilities. They are armed with dual mounted blades and high powered automatic arm cannons." The hologram changed as he spoke, showing off the various features. "The droid is powered by dust, so it would be a perfect security system for companies that produce the substance," he glanced over at the Schnees. "But wait, there's more!" and the hologram changed once again.

The picture of the android scaled down and a new droid appeared next to it that was far larger. This droid had four legs and two huge cannons on its arms. It also had two more cannons situated on its back. "This device is still in the prototype phase, and as such it has yet to be given an official name. As for now we've nicknamed it the 'Spider Droid'. Production for this new design can begin right after we hopefully gain funding from the AK-30 project," again, he glanced at the Schnee owner. "Now, are there any questions?"

"I have a question," a voice said, and everyone turned to see the leader of the White Fang; Vito, step into the room. It all happened so fast. Suddenly all the lights flicked off and there were multiple crashes of metal all around the room, including directly behind the students. There was a gunshot, and many people screamed, but before Carter could even reach his weapon, he felt a sword at his throat. He struggled but froze when he heard the click of a gun directly in his ear. He heard his team struggling as well before they also stopped, and just as quickly as the lights had gone out, they were back.

All around the room the Schnee guards lay unconscious on the floor or slumped against the wall, replaced by White Fang soldiers. Carter saw that the decretive metal panels had been popped off the walls, showing where the Faunus had come from. More gunshots could be heard from somewhere else in the facility. He saw his teammates being held just as he was, their weapons being taken along with his. "Well that was easier than I expected," Vito mused as he strode across the room. The crowd was too terrified to move, as most of the White Fang held the room at gunpoint. "Really ought to beef up your security," the leader remarked as he stepped onto the stage.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Bronze asked furiously. "You have no right to just stride in here with your-"

"Oh shut up," Vito interrupted, pulling out the golden chain and device from the microphone stand.

"Why, you!" the scientist pulled out a remote from his pocket and pointed it at the droid. "AK-30 droid! Attack!" he ordered, as he pressed a button on the remote.

The android sprang to life, it's mask flipping onto its face. "Threat detected. Engaging target," it said in a monotone voice. It raised its arms as they transformed into cannons.

"Ah ah ah," Colin interjected, raising his hand as it glowed. The robot glowed as well, and it lowered its arms.

"C-Colin?! What are you doing?!" Bronze sputtered, shock and confusion showing on his face.

"You really are an idiot!" the badger Faunus giggled. "I'm the one who came up with this whole thing! It was too easy you see! What with the space in the walls, the boringly easy security system-"

"Colin," Vito interrupted. "Let's not let _everyone_ know how we did it, shall we."

"This is an outrage! I demand that you leave at once!" the scientist continued. "Eugene, talk some sense into these people!" But the other scientist was backed up against one of the boxes fearfully.

"Ugh, would you shut up already!" Vito snarled. "Colin, dispose of him."

"Gladly," the Faunus grinned as he pulled out a crossbow and pointed it at Bronze.

"No!" Carter yelled as Colin pulled the trigger, and the scientist was blown back from an explosion and was thrown against the wall before slumping onto the ground.

"Bronze!" Eugene cried, running over to the unconscious man.

"Anyone else?" Vito asked, but silence followed. "Good." He bent down and picked up the remote that Bronze had been holding from where it lay on the floor. "Let's see here... Ah, here we go!" And he pointed the control to the droid and the two boxes. The droid turned and stood at attention as the crates opened. A few dozen droids stepped out of the boxes and stood at attention as well.

"How may we be of assistance?" the first droid asked.

"You just stand there and look pretty," Vito replied.

"Affirmative. Standing by," the droid responded.

"Excellent. Now onto- Wait..." the White Fang leader paused as his eyes passed over CYRS. "Guards, those hunters, bring me the blonde boy and the Faunus."

Carter watched as Yuan and Raphael were shoved forwards and led towards the stage. Yuan looked fearful, but the Faunus of their team looked exactly the opposite. Carter had never seen his partner so angry before. The White Fang soldiers had to hold him back from launching himself at Vito as they walked onto the stage. "Tie their hands up," Vito ordered, and the two students were forced on their knees in front of him.

The White Fang leader stepped towards Yuan first. "I know you. You were the boy at that miserable little dust shop that made things so complicated. I'll deal with you in a minute." He turned towards the other student, who was straining against his bonds and had to be held down by multiple guards. "Well, well, well, what a coincidence. I can't even begin to tell you how long I've waited for this moment, Raphael," he said, kneeling in front of the Faunus.

"What, so I could rip your head off!" the boy growled.

"Such hostility! I've said it once an I'll say it again, you would go far in the White Fang. We could use someone like you Raphael. But, unfortunately with the given circumstances..." he paused as his hand touched the scar on his face. "I cannot give you a second chance. But rest assured, you'll be dealt with soon enough, along with the rest of your Beacon friends. Now, onto business," and he stood and walked off the stage and made his way to where the Mr. Schnee and his grandaughter were sitting.

"Ah, if it isn't the Schnee family off on a little trip. It's an honor to meet the owner of the biggest dust company in the world," he began, giving a mock bow. "You see, I've wanted to have a little chat with you ever since I became the leader of the White Fang. Your abuse of the Faunus has come to an end. From this day forth, consider yourself and the rest of your company as the White Fang's primary prey. You might as well paint a target on your back," he took the red dust crystal from the mans suit and flipped it in his hand. He turned to the little girl beside the company owner. "And this must be the little heiress. How about a nice little smile?"

"I have nothing to say or smile to you about," Weiss replied bitterly.

"Huh, you've got nerve kid. Maybe you should become a hunter like the rest of these brats," he growled, motioning to Carter and his team. "Save the world one monster and villain at a time. Well let me tell you, this is the real world. Trying to be brave gets you nowhere, except maybe a hole in the ground."

Carter saw Yuan look at the dust crystal in Vito's hand and locked eyes with him. They both nodded ever so slightly, trying not to let the guards see.

The little girl looked close to tears, but she hid it well as the Faunus stepped away. "Now, I'm going to break it down for all of you. Everyone in this room, save for me and my associates, is going to die. One by one," Vito announced, walking onto the stage while still tossing the crystal. "And I know just who to start with," he growled, looking down at Raphael.

"NOW, Yuan!" Carter yelled.

Both guards were too busy restraining Raphael to stop Yuan from twisting around so his hands pointed at Vito. The blonde boy's hands glowed, and before Vito could react, the red dust crystal exploded mid toss.

The force knocked away most of the droids along with Colin as smoke flooded the room. Carter elbowed the Faunus holding a sword to his throat and ducked, narrowly avoiding the shot fired over his head. He wrenched the weapon out the White Fang's hand and smashed the pistol into his Faunus's mask. The first guard swung his sword at the boy's head, but Carter blocked it with the gun and punched the solider, breaking his mask and knocking him out.

He turned, gun raised to help Sam, but found that the girl hardly needed it. The few Faunus that had held her and the team's weapons were scattered on the floor around the girl, some unconscious and a few clutching broken wrists. Sam tossed her leader his weapons as the two turned to the stage.

* * *

Yuan dodged around strikes from a White Fang Faunus, his hands still tied behind his back. As the sword came dangerously close once again, he felt his bonds fall away. He paused for a moment as he looked down at his hands. "Oh, hey thanks!" he said. The Faunus charged at him once again with his sword raised.

"Yuan!" Sam called, tossing him his sword and shield. The boy caught the shield and blocked the strike. He caught the sword behind him and spun around, knocking the Faunus off the stage.

"That was awesome!" the boy cheered.

"Stop messing around and fight!" his partner called back. She and Carter were fighting off White Fang soldiers and droids as the crowed escaped out of the room.

Yuan searched around the stage as the smoke began to clear. He saw a blur rush past him, and realized it was Raphael as the Faunus smashed into a White Fang soldier. The Faunus's hands were still bound, but it didn't matter. He kicked away anyone who got in the way of his target. Vito was staggering upwards as he activated his metal gloves. More White Fang charged Yuan however, distracting him away from the two.

* * *

Vito looked around as his vision cleared and saw the fights taking place. He growled as he raised his clawed hands in preparation to fight, but suddenly a blur sped by and he was thrown back from a kick to the head. He landed in a heap and saw the blur speeding towards him. He pretended to be down and waited until just the right moment, then slashed out when Raphael got close. He smirked as he felt his bladed glove connect, and the boy landed behind him.

His smile faded however when he turned and saw the rope that had held Raphaels hands fall to the ground and the boy turn to face him, free. "Well shi-"

"Raph!" Carter called, tossing his partner his weapons. Raphael caught the bracers and quick as a flash had them back on. He roared as he extended the blades and charged at the White Fang leader. Vito slashed out with his weapons, and the blades connected. They both cut and dodged, but the boy had his speed. Vito was knocked back, landing towards the edge of the stage.

"Colin!" he called as Raphael prepared to attack again.

The badger Faunus turned from his fight and raised both his crossbow and his glowing hand. The androids followed him and raised their weapons at the boy. They opened fire, and Raphael didn't have time to dodge.

Suddenly a white bubble shield appeared around him as the shots collided. Colin and his droids stopped firing and saw Yuan with his staff raised as the smoke cleared. "Thought you could use a hand," the boy grinned as the shield faded.

Raphael nodded but quickly looked around. He saw Vito fleeing from the room into one of the hallways and sped after him.

"Oh dear," Colin giggled. "It seems that your companion has abandoned you!"

Yuan shrugged. "Eh, he's got things to do, like me!" and he jumped of the stage and brought his staff down as he landed. The glowing red staff caused a ripple of fire that blasted away a few of the droids. "Oh, and don't forget. Vito left you too," and he transformed his weapon into the sword.

"Touché," Colin replied, splitting his crossbow into a pair of sai. The two charged and clashed, he droids surrounding them.

* * *

Carter saw his partner speed out of the room in pursuit of Vito as he slashed aside another droid. "Go after him," Sam called as she knocked away a pair of White Fang. "We've got this!"

Carter nodded and chased after the two Faunus. But before he could reach the door a squad of White Fang soldiers blocked his path. He stopped and joined his swords together into a staff before charging.

As the rest of the civilians finished evacuating the room Sam saw the Schnees trailing behind, a few White Fang in pursuit. She threw her shield and knocked out the Faunus, and caught it as she ran up beside them. "Are you two alright?" she asked.

"Yes, we're fine," the Schnee owner wheezed. "But we've got to get out of here!"

"Way ahead of you sir. The others are currently making their way to-" Suddenly she heard more gunshots behind her. She whirled around to fight, but stopped as she saw multiple squads of Schnee security burst into the room. "C'mon!" she said, helping the two to the squads.

"Sir!" one of the men said, taking the Schnee company owner.

"Get them out of here now!" Sam ordered, and a few of the guards helped the two out of the room.

Suddenly she heard a voice call out. "Ahh! Help!" She turned to see Eugene standing over Bronze, who was still laying on the ground. A few droids were running towards them, blades raised.

Sam ran at the droids as she extended the blade on her shield. She slashed the closest one in half and threw her shield spiraling into another, the blade embedding into its head. She ran up and jumped over the droid, wrenching the weapon free. "Look out!" Eugene cried, and Sam turned to see the last android running at her. Raising her shield she blocked its strike and activated her semblance. She grabbed the droids chest and ripped it off, sparks flying. The AK droid collapsed as she dropped the chest plate, and she looked over to the two scientists.

"Are you alright?" She asked, retracting the blade on her shield.

"I-I'm fine, but Bronze..." the man looked down at his associate.

Sam nodded and knelt down next the the man. She touched her hand to his forehead and glowed once more. The sounds of the battle around her seemed to fade, before she took her hand away. "He's alive, but barely," and she picked up Bronze and slung him over her shoulder. "Let's move!" She led the way back to the Schnee guards.

"Take him, he's hurt!" Sam ordered, giving the man to one of the guards. "Get them out of here!"

"Sam!" Yuan called, and she saw her partner frantically trying to fight away some of the droids.

"Do I have to do everything around here?!" She exclaimed angrily. She activated the small blades around the edge of her shield and threw it with all her might.

"Yikes!" the boy exclaimed, ducking as the shield buzzed over his head. "Hey, watch it!"

"You're welcome!" Sam replied as she caught the shield. Yuan looked around to see the droids around him decapitated and falling to the floor.

"Oh, uh, thanks."

"Where's Colin and the rest of the droids?"

"They left with most of the White Fang when the Schnee forces showed up," Yuan replied, pointing.

Sam looked around the room. Carter was gone, meaning he had gotten past the soldiers that blocked him and gone after Raphael. Only a few White Fang soldiers were left, and the Schnee security forces were finishing them up.

"We're going after him," she stated before running of to where Yuan had pointed.

"Alright then," Yuan replied, following close behind. "Sure, I think that's a great idea. Thanks for asking me like you always do."

"Shut up," Sam said as they left the room.

* * *

Vito dodged around corners and up stairs, Raphael close behind. Soon the two came to the top of the facility, and burst out onto the landing platform where the students had first arrived. "Freeze!" the two stopped as they saw a few squads of Schnee guards surrounding them, weapons raised.

"I'm with you!" Raphael snarled. "I'm from Beacon!"

"Shut up White Fang! You Faunus are all the same!" the guard spat. "Now, drop your weapons!"

Suddenly there was a whirring noise from under the platform. Three bullheads appeared around the platform, one on each side and another in front of them. "Oh, looks like my ride's here." Vito smirked. The bullhead's gatling guns started to spin and fire on the Schnee soldiers, scattering them.

Raphael took cover, but saw Vito running ahead. He growled and chased after him as the aircraft to the side turned and opened their sides. A huge shape jumped out and landed right in front of the boy, and he looked up to see Bruno standing above him. More generic White Fang soldiers jumped from the bullheads, along with what looked like another admin from the other craft. She spun around wielding a razor edged whip, knocking away more Schnee forces. She wore a mask over her face and had a lion tail that swung around her.

Raphael didn't have long to look around at the new forces, as Bruno roared and swung his hammer down. The Faunus dodged around him in pursuit of Vito, but the new woman struck out with her whip, forcing him to dodge. He growled and sped towards her with his semblance. They both clashed, whip and blades flying. His speed outmatched her though, and he knocked her back, her heels stopping at the edge of the platform. Raphael growled and ran to attack again, but she raised her hand as it glowed.

Suddenly from behind her a King Taijitu rose up onto the platform, hissing at the boy. "Grimm!" one of the Schnee soldiers screamed, panicking along with a few others. Both the woman and the snake attacked, knocking Raphael back. Bruno struck out once again, forcing the boy to dodge. But as he did Vito attacked, knocking him back. He landed in a heap towards the door, and struggled to his feet.

"Good to see that you've finally arrived Bruno. And you as well Andrea," Vito remarked as the three faced their opponent. The King Taijitu slithered up beside the woman. "This boy has become a nuisance. Kill him." Hugo laughed as he and Andrea stepped forwards, one of the snake's heads rearing to strike. Raphael prepared himself, but he was already tired, and out of three opponents, two were completely new and ready to fight.

They lunged, but suddenly in a flash of blades the two admins were knocked back, the snake's head flew off its body, and Carter landed beside Raphael. "Hope I didn't miss anything," he said as he stood, swords raised.

"Took you long enough," the Faunus grunted in reply. The other head of the Grimm roared as it's first landed on the platform.

Vito had a hint of fear on his face as he looked from the head to Carter. "You know, I think it's time I took my leave. You two deal with this," he said to Bruno and Andrea before turning and running towards one of the bullheads.

Carter and Raphael opened fire on the Faunus, but with a motion from Andrea's hand the snake leapt in front of him like a shield. Bruno smashed his weapon between the two, throwing them back. They saw Vito hop onto one of the bullheads as it turned and took off into the sky.

The bear Faunus swung at Carter, forcing him back further. The boy charged, jumping over another strike and slashing at the mans back with his broadswords. But the blades barely scratched as Bruno glowed, and he swung his hammer around. Carter activated his semblance just before the hammer connected, negating the damage. The strike still sent him sliding back towards the edge, and he deactivated his ability as he stabbed into the platform to stop from falling. He pulled out his weapons and fitted them together into the staff and charged Bruno once again.

Raphael was having trouble in his own fight as well. Andrea lashed out with her whip, and he blocked the attacks with his bracers. Then the whip wrapped around one of his weapons, and she gave it a sharp pull, smacking Raphael with his own bracer. She tried to make the attack again, but the boy extended the blade on his bracer, untangling himself. He transformed his weapon and fired a volley of gunshots at the woman, but Andrea spun her whip around her, blocking the shots. Suddenly Raphael heard hissing behind him, and jumped to the side as the King Taijitu lashed out at him. The snake slithered around the woman, hissing.

Raphael breathed deeply, almost out of breath from the constant fighting. He roared and transformed his weapons once again, blades extending from the bracers as he charged. The snake lunged, and he activated his semblance as he dodged around it. He landed on his hand and spun on it, kicking Andrea and jumping past her. She flashed out her whip though, and he wasn't able to dodge and land at the same time. He crashed onto the ground and flipped back onto his feet on the edge of the platform. His hand reached up to feel the cut across his cheek as he growled.

Carter glanced briefly to see his partner backed against the edge, and it was just enough time for Bruno to strike out. Carter barely had time to use his aura, let alone his semblance, and the hit sent him flying back next to his partner.

"Ouch, you know, this kind of reminds me of our first fight together," he coughed as he staggered to his feet.

"Other than the King Taijitu, how does this have anything to do with that fight in the forest?" Raphael asked, wiping the blood from his cheek.

"That's about as far as I got too," the boy admitted, earning a confused look from his partner. They looked to see the two admins striding towards them, the snake trailing behind. "Alright, here's the plan. We both throw everything we have at one of them, since neither of us can do it on our own."

"That's it? That's your grand plan?" the Faunus asked. "That's an awful plan. What if the other goes after us? What about the giant death snake?!"

"Do you have a better plan?"

Raphael paused. "No..." He grumbled.

"C'mon, don't you trust me?" Carter asked.

"No, I don't."

"No surprise there," the boy replied, looking back at their opponents. "Duck!" he yelled as the snake lunged at them. They rolled out of the way as the Grimm stopped just before the edge. "Bruno!" He ordered.

The two sped forwards, slashing out and surprising the bear Faunus. He blocked Carter's swords with his hammer, but Raphael kicked at his side. He swung around at the Faunus and Carter jumped over him, slashing downwards. Bruno activated his semblance as his back blocked the strikes, but Raphael rolled under him and kicked his hammer from his grasp. As the hammer landed a few meters away Carter landed beside his partner and they both yelled as they kicked the Faunus in the chest, launching him back.

Their victory was short lived however, as one of the bullhead pilots saw them and swung the aircraft around as it fired its guns. Carter activated his semblance as Raphael hid behind him, the bullets ricocheting off the leaders body. "Oh yeah, this is a great plan!" The Faunus yelled. "Let's both attack the same target, and leave ourselves completely vulnerable!"

Raphael saw Andrea direct the King Taijitu towards them, and he dodged to the side as the snake struck. He snarled and jumped onto the snake's head, stabbing into its eyes with his bracers. The Grimm reared up in pain, and as it did the Faunus launched off it towards the bullhead. The pilot panicked, veering the aircraft away. Raphael landed on one of the wings and fired his gun into the engine. The bullhead began to smoke and fly out of control, and the boy jumped off as it began to spin. He saw Carter on the King Taijitus other head jump off when he saw the spiraling aircraft heading straight for him.

They both landed beside each other as the bullhead crashed onto the platform, crushing the snake Grimm and sending them both spiraling off the edge. Suddenly Andrea flailed her whip at them, and they saw Bruno running at them, hammer back in hand. Raphael clashed with Andrea while Carter blocked the bear Faunus's attack. Both White Fang admins fought furiously, pushing the students until they were back to back. As their backs touched Carter yelled out an order. "Switch!" and they locked arms and both spun around kicking outwards.

Andrea was thrown backwards while Bruno staggered back, giving another roar. Raphael growled and activated his semblance and sped forwards, blurring around the bear Faunus and riddling him with kicks and strikes. He kicked the admin with his last bit of energy back towards where he had been standing, where Carter stood at the ready with both weapons raised. The boy rolled under Bruno as he neared the ground and fired, launching the Faunus even further towards Andrea. The woman dodged as the man landed, making the platform shake.

Bruno staggered upwards, but Andrea stopped him from attacking again. "We have to go. Now."

"I'm not finished yet..." The bear Faunus grumbled angrily. The last bullhead swooped down and fired its guns as it picked up what remained of the White Fang's forces. Carter and his partner dodged and blocked the shots as the ship took off.

Raphael growled as the aircraft disappeared into the clouds. "Hey," Carter reassured. "We survived. Everyone's okay. That's all that matters."

The Faunus sighed. Then they heard more gunshots and crashes, and they ran to the edge of the platform to see two more bullheads launch out of the hanger and follow where the White Fang had gone.

Just then a airship that loomed into view from the clouds. "Is that... from Beacon?" Carter asked. His question was soon answered as the ship docked beside the platform and Ozpin himself walked out of the ship, followed briskly by Glynda Goodwitch. "Uh, what are they doing here?" he whispered.

"No clue," Raphael replied.

"Ah, you two are alright," Goodwitch breathed. "What on earth happened?"

"Uh, well, you see," Carter stammered nervously.

"Professor Goodwitch," Ozpin interjected. "I don't believe now is the time to be questioning them. It is clear that these two have been through a lot, and it wouldn't surprise me if the rest of their team has as well."

Goodwitch sighed. "I suppose you're right sir," and she strode over to assist some of the injured Schnee soldiers.

"Umm, sir?" Carter asked. "If you don't me asking, why are you here? How did you know something was going on?"

"An excellent question Mr. Hemlock. Your Scrolls told us."

Carter looked down and pulled out his device and observed it. The bars that represented their aura levels had all dropped considerably. "Your Scroll sends us a message when you reach dangerously low aura levels. I'll admit, I became worried when both you and Raphael's levels dropped to near zero."

"Oh, well, thank you sir."

"Why thank me? I didn't do anything. You are the ones responsible for what I assume to be an exceptional victory."

Suddenly the doors leading onto the platform opened, and Sam and Yuan ran onto the platform, along with a few guards, Eugene, and the Schnees. "Hey, are you guys-" Yuan stopped when he saw the headmaster. "Umm, hello professor."

"You guy's alright?" Carter asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," the blonde boy answered. "Nothing we couldn't handle."

"Hey," Carter said suddenly remembering. "Do you know what those two bullheads that we just saw were?"

The blonde boy looked away and scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, uh, yeah kind of."

"It was Colin and the rest of the White Fang," Sam answered. "Along with most of the androids. What happened with you guys?"

"Vito got away..." Carter answered. "But the important thing is that everyone is alright."

"Indeed, that is important," Ozpin agreed. "Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, but from what it sounds like am I to believe that the White Fang organized an attack on this facility?"

"Led by their leader Vito," Raphael added.

"And three other powerful members," Carter said.

"Was anyone killed?" the headmaster asked.

"No," Eugene answered. "I was there and saw the whole thing. They saved my life and all the others."

"What about Bronze?" Yuan asked.

"He's in emergency healthcare. He's hurt, but he'll be alright," the man replied.

"I'm not sure about the Schnee forces though," Sam intervened. "I think I saw a few take serious injury."

"Hmm," the dust company owner stepped in, assisted by a few guards. "My soldiers are always prepared do die to protect citizens. And they would have suffered more casualties if you four hadn't been here." He turned to speak to Ozpin. "It seems I was correct to choose your hunters as extra protection. If they had not been there, I would probably not be standing here to speak with you. I look forward to using your services again."

"Thank you," the headmaster replied. "I look forwards to it as well."

"Now," the man continued. "I must be going," and he began walking back into the facility with the guards.

Weiss stayed behind for only a moment as she turned to the students. "T-thank you. All of you. I hate Vito, and I refuse to listen to what he says, but he might be right about me becoming a huntress."

"It's a difficult job," Sam replied.

"Life threatening," Raphael agreed.

"Sometimes extremely boring," Yuan said. "Especially the classes."

"Guys!" Carter scolded, looking at his team.

"Sorry..." they mumbled.

The team leader sighed. "I'll admit, they're right. But above all else, being a Hunter is rewarding. You get to help people, and make a difference in the world. That's what being a hunter is all about."

The girl nodded, then turned as her grandfather called to her. "Oh, I've got to go. Thank you again! Goodbye!" and she ran to go catch up to her grandfather.

"I suppose I should go as well," Eugene sighed. "With Bronze in the hospital I'll have to sort out this whole mess myself. But I thank you, on behalf of the facility, and Bronze," and he walked back to the mountain as well.

"Hmm," Ozpin mumbled, looking at the students.

"What is it sir?" Goodwitch asked as she walked back to the group.

"Oh, I was just marveling on how a single first year team was able to stand their ground against a group of highly trained criminals and a small army of androids without suffering any civilian casualties. It is most amazing really. These students could go far,"

Team CYRS shuffled their feet nervously, even Sam and Yuan were at a loss for words. "It wasn't that much sir," Carter said. "When you say it like that it sounds far more impressive than it was."

"It was very impressive. So much so that it might even be creditable for an award," the students perked up, that is until Ozpin continued. "Unfortunately this mission was intended as a punishment," the students sulked a little. "But I suppose I could pull some strings," the headmaster finished.

"Thank you sir," Carter replied.

"Now," Ozpin continued. "All of you have injuries and we have a long trip back. We can discuss the details of what occurred here after you four have recovered," and he led the way back towards the airship, team CYRS trailing behind. The students grinned to each other as they entered the ship, but before they could speak to one another, they each fell asleep on the airships seats, exhausted from their first mission.

* * *

Vito entered a small shadowed room, barely any light shining through the small window. "Ah, Vito. I hope you have brought what I asked?" a voice spoke from the darkness.

"Yes, of course," the Faunus replied nervously, setting the gold chain and data drive containing the plans for the droids on a table in the center of the room.

A gloved hand reached out and took the device, before slinking back into the darkness. "Good, you've done well."

"Uh what about my-"

"Yes, your award. Consider those bullheads that I lent you a permanent gift. You may also keep the remaining androids. I've no need for them now that I have this."

"B-but, you promised funds, and more soldiers!" Vito stuttered.

"I did, but I'm changing my mind. Is there... an issue with that?"

"O-of course not! It's completely fine!" Vito squeaked.

"Good. I look forwards to using your services again Vito."

"Y-yes, of c-course."

"Now, leave me. I will contact you when I require you again."

Vito practically ran as he stumbled out of the room, the door closing behind him with a snap.

* * *

_And so concludes the first volume of Light through CYRS clouds. ill be taking a small break for awhile, and I might not be back until the end of RWBY volume 2. but I promise, I will be back. this story is far from over. as for other stories? well I've got a few works in progress that may/may not get posted, and I've got plenty of ideas for different works. I also might start actually drawing and posting my character designs somewhere, though it probably wont happen soon. but anyways, see you guys later and as always, thanks for reading!_


	19. Halloween Short

_So, uh, this is really late (like a month) but I still wanted to get this fun little holiday short to you guys, cause you deserve it. However, the main reason I'm posting this is to make the announcement you've been waiting for; CYRS is back! RWBY season 2 is over, so it's time I start the second volume of my story. I've been really busy with other projects, which is why I haven't posted anything. But yeah, I've already done a lot on the next few chapters, so expect the first to appear in a few weeks! _

_Thanks, and enjoy!_

* * *

The city of Vale was brimming with the Halloween spirit. Jack-o-lanterns stood next to many of the doorways throughout the streets. Shops were stocked with candy from wall to wall, but the sweets were quickly disappearing off the shelves. Beacon Academy was as equally decorated and festive, and as evening fell on Halloween night a few particular students were preparing for the night.

"C'mon Raph', we're gonna be late!" Carter called as he stood by CYRS's bathroom door. He was dressed in a ragged trench coat, and a ski mask sat on his head. A fake chainsaw was held in his hand to complete his costume.

"No, I look stupid. This whole thing is stupid," the Faunus replied through the door.

"You look fine, or better than Yuan at least."

"Hey!" Yuan exclaimed. His blonde hair was dyed black and his skin was painted pale. He wore a dark cape and inside his mouth was attached a pair of pointed teeth. "I look fangtastic!"

Carter groaned, and before he could reply the door to the dorm opened as the last member of CYRS walked in. Sam wore a mummy costume, complete with fake spiders hanging from her long hair. Her expression mirrored what Raphael's probably looked like. Her eyebrow raised when she caught sight of her partner.

"Really, a vampire?" she commented.

"Yeah, chicks dig vampires!" Yuan grinned, holding the cape partially over his face.

Sam rolled her eyes and sighed. "Remind me again why we're going out into town wearing ridiculous costumes?" she grumbled.

"Cause its Halloween! We get to go out and get scared and load up on candy!" her partner replied happily.

"Kyla said it meant a lot to Opal," Carter added. "We all promised we would go. It'll be fun!"

"Fine," Sam huffed. "Let's just go and get this over with."

"We can't, Raph' won't leave the bathroom," CYRS's leader pointed out. Sam grumbled and marched over to the door Carter stood by.

"Raphael, get out here!" she ordered as she rapped on the door with her knuckles.

"No, I'm not going!" the Faunus replied grudgingly.

"If I'm going, you're going!"

"Make me!"

"Oh dear," Carter mumbled as he stepped back from the door.

"Oh ho ho, I will!" and she gripped the doorknob. Sam glowed briefly, and with a tug the door was ripped off its hinges. She tossed it aside, narrowly missing Yuan. The blonde boy yelped, causing his fake teeth to pop out of his mouth and fall to the floor.

"That's the third time now," Carter sighed. "Eventually Ozpin's going to stop replacing that."

Sam stepped back as Raphael grudgingly walked out of the bathroom. He didn't look as bad as he thought, though his werwolf costume clearly had been made with a bad attitude. He was itching at the fake fur covering him, and a fake tail swung loosely off his back.

"I look ridiculous," he grumbled.

"You look fine, plus it's only for tonight," Carter pointed out. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Oh, that's probably the others," the boy commented, walking over and opening the door.

"Arrrr! G'day mates!" Oliver greeted. He wore an eyepatch that matched the rest of his pirate costume. Even his usual cowboy hat had been replaced with a sailor hat and a large feather sticking out. The rest of his team stood behind him, each with their own costume. Rowan's face was skillfully covered with makeup to look like that of a zombie, and she wore ripped and tattered clothes. William was dressed up as a scarecrow, and was itching at his straw hat and the straw in his sleeves. Tiffany wore a classic devil costume, and as such was covered mostly in red. A pair of horns stood on her head, and she even had a fake tail like Raphael.

"Awesome costumes!" Yuan gaped as he stepped over to the door.

"And to you as well my friend," William replied, lifting his hat.

"Ready to go mates?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, but where's KONJ?" Carter questioned.

"Already down by the docks, said they would meet us there. Better not keep em' waiting!" And with that he turned and began down the hall. The rest of OWTR and CYRS followed close behind, talking excitedly of the night to come.

"So, how'd you get convinced to do this?" Sam asked Tiffany as she walked up beside her.

The girl shrugged. "I thought it would be fun," she replied. "Besides, I'll never say no to sweets."

Sam smiled, and they continued on until they reached the large platforms where a few of the huge airships were docked. They spotted KONJ almost immediately thanks to their costumes.

"Hey, thanks for coming!" Kyla greeted. She wore a pointed hat and a witch costume, and held a broom at her side. Chad stood nearby, and had donned a Frankenstein's monster costume. He had even styled his blue hair black. Opal bounded into view, wearing a frilly dress and tiara.

"Uh, aren't you supposed to dress up as something sca-" Sam was cut off as Yuan elbowed her in the side.

"Wow, you guys look great!" Opal cheered, giddy with excitement.

"Thanks, but where's Norem?" Carter asked.

"I'm here," a voice replied, and a figure draped in a bed sheet appeared.

"Whoa, awesome!" Yuan gasped.

"Thanks," Norem replied. They could just make out his eyes from behind two holes cut in the sheet. "Opal thought of it."

"Alright mates, everyone's here," Oliver began. "Let's hop on an airship and-"

"Wooooow," a voice said from behind them. "I knew you guys were pathetic, but this is a new low." The students turned to see Emmett and the rest of ENVY walking up to them. None of the team were dressed up. "Nice costume," he smirked at Raphael, which was received with a growl.

"What do you want Emmett?" Carter asked harshly.

The purple haired boy raised his hands in mock defense. "No need to be hostile, I'm just seeing what you losers were doing. But I've got to say, I was not expecting this," he laughed.

"We're going trick or treating, its gonna be really fun!" Opal exclaimed.

"Oh really? And what's so fun about dressing up in stupid costumes and fetching candy from door to door?"

"Well, like you said you get to dress up for one! And you get candy! And it's all so pretty with decorations! And there are jack-o-lanterns and haunted houses and candy and bobbing for apples and candy!"

"Uh, you said candy like three times," Emmett replied.

"Well duh, cause its candy! It's really fun, do you guys wanna come? We can get you costumes when we get there!" The others tensed up, shaking their heads and waving their hands behind ENVY.

Emmett laughed once again. "Seriously? Go out in ridiculous costumes with you losers? No way." The other students sighed with relief.

"Alright, that's okay. But I didn't expect you to be scared," Opal said. The other students went wide eyed.

"What did you say to me?" Emmett asked threateningly.

"I said you were scared," Opal replied, still grinning her optimistic grin.

"Scared of what? Dressing up? That's not fear, that's decency."

"Nope! Scared of losing the team candy collection contest!"

"The what?" everyone else said. Even Kyla was confused.

"The contest where each team has to try to collect the most candy by the end of Halloween, and the winners get to keep all of it! But I can understand why you wouldn't want to try, considering how skilled your competition is," she gave a heroic pose. Everyone simply stared at the girl for a minute.

"Yeah, like you losers could beat us in anything," Emmett sneered. "Alright, fine. We accept your challenge, but we're not dressing up."

"Alright, but good luck getting anything without a costume," she replied as ENVY strode away. "Now c'mon, let's go!" and she promptly pranced off towards an airship, leaving the rest of the students completely dumbfounded at what she had done.

"Umm, did she... tell you anything about a contest?" Carter asked, turning to Kyla.

"No, no she did not," the girl sighed. "But I guess it sounds like fun, so let's do it. Sorry ahead of time by the way."

"Sorry for what?"

"For winning. What with Opal's enthusiasm and Norem's semblance use with his costume, we're probably gonna win."

"Yeah, no," Sam interjected. "Not happening. We're the ones going home with all the candy."

"Guys, guys," Oliver broke in. "C'mon, why are you fighting?" He paused. "We all know my teams gonna win." All the students stood in a three way standoff, eyeing each other.

"To the airship!" Kyla exclaimed, and KONJ ran after Opal into one of the docked airships. OWTR and CYRS each ran into another ship, and soon the aircraft took of. The night had just begun.

* * *

"Alright, so what's the plan of attack?" Sam asked as CYRS left the Vale air docks.

"Plan of attack?" Yuan repeated. "We're trick-or-treating, not attacking people."

"I know!" Sam argued back. "I just mean what's our strategy?"

"We split up, cover more ground," Carter replied.

"And what do we do if we run into one of the others?" Raphael asked.

"I don't trust ENVY, so try to avoid them as much as possible. As for the rest, hopefully they won't cause trouble." The team stopped in a intersection of streets. "Good luck," and CYRS split up in four different directions.

* * *

"Alright team, here's how it's gonna go down!" Oliver stood in front of the rest of OWTR outside the docks. "We split into two teams. Me and Rowan will cover the south end of Vale, while Tiffany and Will can go through the north end."

"Nu-uh, you are not pairing me up with him," Tiffany pointed at her partner.

"But my dear, just think of it!" William proclaimed. "A night on the the town! Decorations, bright lights, candy, just the two of us! It will be wonderful!"

"Yeah, it will be wonderful," the girl replied. "Especially when you're. Not. There."

"Alright, fine," Oliver sighed. "Will and I can go north, Rowan and Tiffany will go south. Happy?"

"Extremely," Tiffany replied, and she and Rowan turned and made their way down the street.

"We'll get back to you in a few hours!" Rowan called back.

"Splendid! It shall be a 'Guy's night out' as you would call it," William exclaimed.

"I guess so," Oliver replied. "C'mon then, let's get a move on!" And they started down the street the opposite direction to the others.

* * *

Opal skipped down one of the many streets of Vale, her bag already partially filled with candy. The rest of KONJ barely followed behind, winded from trying to keep up.

"Opal... slow down..." Kyla wheezed.

"Yeah dude, I need a break," Chad added. Norem could only nod in agreement, for he was doubled over inside the bed sheet.

"But we've got so many houses to go to!" the enthusiastic girl replied.

"I know, so I think we should... split up," the older sister continued, still catching her breath.

"B-but, I wanted to go trick to treating together," Opal whimpered, pouting at Kyla. The team leader sighed.

"Alright fine, we'll stick together. But you're the one who dragged us into this, so can you agree to slow down the pace a bit?"

"Okay!" the girl smiled. "Lllllets go!" And she led the team along the street, waving her bags of candy merrily.

* * *

"So remind me again why we're out here?" Nyte asked as ENVY walked through vale.

"Because, we're gonna show those losers who the best team is," Emmett replied.

"At trick-or-treating?" the boy questioned.

"Hey, who's leader here? That's right, me. So if I say we're gonna go out and win a stupid contest, then we're gonna go win a stupid contest!"

Nyte grumbled in response. The other two team members remained silent, Veronica busily texting on her Scroll, and Taupe simply walking along solemnly like he usually did. They were in for a long night.

* * *

The downtown plaza of Vale was the most festive and decorated place in the city. Fake cobwebs hung from buildings and lamp posts. Countless Jack-o-lanterns glowed along the square. There were even a few stands set up with various attractions, like bobbing for apples and a haunted house.

As Sam walked into the crowded plaza, she caught sight of Rowan and Tiffany standing in front of the haunted house. Her bag was already partially filled with candy, and she saw the same could be said for the other two girls. As she walked closer, she saw the sign the girls were looking at, which read; "PRIZE BAG OF CANDY TO ANY WHO CAN MAKE IT THROUGH WITHOUT SCREAMING,"

"Seems like a pretty easy task to me," Sam commented as she walked up beside them. The two turned in surprise, but looked back at the sign after seeing who it was.

"It's not as easy as you would think," Rowan replied.

"Yeah, we both tried it and failed," Tiffany agreed. "There's some pretty messed up stuff in there."

"Really?" Both girls nodded.

"Psh, sounds easy," Yuan intervened, waltzing over from seemingly nowhere. All three girls raised their eyebrows.

"What, you think you can do better?" Sam asked.

"Well, yeah. It's only a haunted house. How bad can it be?"

"Well by all means then, be our guest," she replied, and she stepped aside along with the other two.

"I will, and you can thank me later when I win that candy," the boy boasted, striding towards the dark buildings entrance.

"He won't last a minute," Sam said.

"Wanna make bets?" Tiffany asked. But before they could wager anything, Yuan stepped into the haunted house. No less than five seconds later, a girlish scream pierced the air and the boy was sprinting out the door. The girls doubled over in laughter as Yuan slouched over to them.

"Thanks," the boy said sarcastically.

"Next time take our word for it," Rowan chuckled.

"That was the best moment of my life," Sam giggled, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Yeah yeah laugh it up," Yuan retorted. "Like you could do better."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? We'll see about that," and she turned to walk into the haunted house.

But before she could take the first step a blur of pink sped by exclaiming; "WHEEE!" and ran into the haunted house. Soon after most of KONJ jogged up to the group.

"Was that... Opal?" Rowan asked. Kyla nodded her head, out of breath.

"Is she gonna be alright in there?" Yuan asked, looking towards the haunted house.

"Yeah, she'll be fine," Kyla replied. "Nothing really scares her." Just then Opal sped back out of the building, skipping merrily and carrying a massive sack of candy as big as her. Everyone except Kyla gaped at the girl as she pranced over to them.

"That was soooooooo much fun! And look sis, I got candy!" Opal beamed.

"That's awesome Opal!" the older sister replied kindly. "Let's add it to the pile and keep going." The others only now saw the large wheelbarrow Chad was pushing, filled to the brim with candy already. The new bag of candy was tossed to the top of the pile, and Kyla gave a small smirk at the the other teams's shocked faces. "Good luck with the contest!" she called back as she and her team walked away into the crowd, Opal riding atop the pile of candy.

"Well, we lost," Yuan concluded.

"Not yet we haven't," Sam replied, a competitive look in her eyes. "I am _not_ losing this. You keep going, I'll stay here and try to get prizes from these stands."

"Alright, fine," the boy sighed, slouching off towards one of the streets. "Why do you have to make everything so dramatic?" He mumbled. Rowan and Tiffany looked at each other and nodded, hurrying off into the crowd as well.

Sam turned towards the decorated stands, the determination still in her eyes as she advanced.

* * *

It had been some time since Carter had wandered the streets of Vale. But he had to admit, he felt a bit ridiculous going around on his own trick-or-treating. He was painfully aware of the stares he was attracting, and he hoped the others weren't having the same experience.

And it was thanks to this that he was actually happy to hear the voices of some of his competition a short distance away;

"And so the thrilling story ends, one of my best if I do say so myself. Would you like to hear another?" William was saying.

"Ya know mate, I think I'll pass," Oliver replied. Then he caught sight of Carter and hurried over, apparently happy to have an excuse to escape William. "Aye mate! Get any good pickings?"

"A bit," Carter replied, holding up his bag. "You?"

Oliver swung his bag of candy over his shoulder. "Yep! And the nights only half over!"

"Quite," William added. "I do believe the contest is 'in the bag' as Yuan would say."

"Yeah, that sounds like something he would say," Carter chuckled.

"Heard from any of the others?" Oliver asked.

"I think I saw KONJ speed by, but I wasn't sure. It looked like they were headed to the plaza."

"Hmm, that's right around where Rowan and Tiffany would be. I wonder if they'll meet up?"

"Ah, so many able to spend time with my beloved but me," William sighed.

"Give it a rest mate. you know she doesn't like you, right?"

"My dear leader, I've read and written plenty of love stories in my time, and thus I have a thorough understanding of it. If there is one thing I know, it is that 'the course of true love never did run smooth', to quote Milkshakespeare. Now onward! The sooner we finish our task, the sooner I can reunite with my darling!" and William marched down the street, bag of candy in hand.

Both leaders sighed and turned to each other with raised eyebrows before following the scarecrow dressed writer.

* * *

Yuan strolled from house to house, his collection of candy growing with each stop. He had missed trick-or-treating, and was secretly overjoyed at the opportunity to do it again. He hadn't seen any of the others since the plaza, but stopped as he saw a familiar face.

"Hey Raph'!" He called, walking up to the Faunus. Raphael looked up in surprise from where he had been looking down at his bag of candy.

"Oh, hey," Raphael replied.

"Got anything good?" Yuan asked, looking over the Faunus's shoulder. The bag of candy was almost completely empty.

"I don't think I'm very good at this," the Faunus admitted.

"Oh c'mon, I'm sure you're fine!"

"I'm sure I'm not."

"Alright, fine. Here, watch them," he gestured over to a small family approaching one of the houses. A cloaked man led two little girls. The man's face was covered by a Halloween mask, but they could see the features of the other two. The older girl had long flowing blonde hair, and she led the smaller one with dark red hair by the hand.

Raphael was able to make out their conversation with his Faunus hearing. "C'mon Ruby!" the blonde girl exclaimed.

"Yang, slow down!" the younger sister said.

"Now now you two, no need to rush," the man called. "You'll trip and spill your candy."

"Alright uncle Qrow," the two girls replied. They came to the door of the house, where a little old lady was handing out candy. "Trick or treat!" they bellowed.

"Oh, and what are you two dressed up as?" the old woman asked kindly.

"I'm Goldilocks!" the blonde girl announced proudly.

"Little red riding hood," the smaller girl mumbled shyly.

"How lovely! What adorable costumes, here you go," and she dropped some candy into each of the girls bags.

"Thank you!" the two sisters said in unison as they walked away.

"See? Easy," Yuan pointed out. The small family passed them, and the blonde girl stopped when she saw the pair.

"Woah, cool costume!" She gaped as she led her sister over to the two.

"Why thank you," Yuan replied. "I made it my-"

"Not you," the girl interrupted. "Him!" and she pointed to Raphael. "My sister loves wolves!" the girl with red hair peeked from behind her sister and smiled.

"Uhh, thanks?" the Faunus replied.

"Hey, what about me?" Yuan huffed in annoyance.

"What are you supposed to be? Some rich guy who drowned?" the blond girl asked.

"I am a vampire, thank you very much!" the boy replied.

"C'mon you two!" the man called.

"Coming uncle Qrow!" the little girl called back. "Bye!" and she led her sister back down the street.

"That was interesting," Raphael chuckled. Yuan huffed in response, but was still watching as the little family disappeared from view. "Dude, it's fine. You only partially look like someone who's drowned."

"No, that's not it. I feel like I've heard that guys name before," the boy pondered. "But anyways, that's not the point! You've seen an example, now it's your turn!"

"Uh, no."

"C'mon, it'll be fine! It's really easy, go on."

"Why should I?"

"Because, you've gotta live a little! Plus, you don't want to lose the contest, do you?"

The Faunus pondered for a moment. "Alright fine, I'll go," Raphael sighed before starting his way over to the home.

"Yeah, alright!" Yuan replied happily.

Raphael waited his turn behind a few children at the door, then walked up as they left. "Trick or treat!" he exclaimed just a little too loudly. He tried to smile, but it came out as more of a painful grimace. The little old women looked slightly alarmed at the boy's appearance as he held up his nearly empty bag of candy.

"Oh, um, there you go dear," and the old woman dropped a piece of candy into the boy's bag, careful not to get too close.

"Thank you!" he replied. While this had all taken place, he had failed to notice that his fake tail had ended up inside one of the jack-o-lanterns. The old woman's look of alarm turned to pure terror when the boy spun around to walk away and his tail sprayed fire all over her porch.

Raphael panicked and tried to stomp out the fire, but his tail was still aflame, and with each stomp more and more sparks flew off and ignited. Coincidentally most of the woman's Halloween decorations were extremely flammable, and it was not long before the entire porch was covered in fire.

Many people stopped and stared at the scene taking place. The old woman had disappeared, having fled into her home. Yuan was of no help at all at this point, for he was completely out of breath from laughing so hard. Raphael had gone from stomping at the fire around him to trying to beat the fire off himself. Turns out the fake fur covering most of his body was also extremely flammable.

Thankfully by now the old woman had returned, a huge bucket of water in hand. She doused both the porch and the Faunus, and the fire fizzled out. Flustered, the woman quickly went back inside and closed the door, leaving Raphael dripping on the porch.

The Faunus trudged back over to Yuan, who was wiping back tears.

"So," Yuan smiled, holding back more laughter. "How'd it go?" He burst back into laughter once again.

Raphael glared at him, but then looked down at his candy bag, now almost filled with water. He smirked and thrust the sack at the laughing boy, dousing him in water and bits of candy.

"What the- aw c'mon!" the boy spluttered. Now it was Raphael who was laughing.

"You know," the Faunus laughed, "that girl was right. You really do look like someone who's drowned."

Yuan stood there for a moment, but soon a chuckle rose in his throat. Before long both boys were laughing, soaking wet and attracting stares and weird looks.

"Alright, I'll admit, that was pretty funny," Raphael admitted, still chuckling.

Yuan nodded while still laughing and pulled out his Scroll to check on it. The device was waterproof, but the old hand-me-down was so cracked he wouldn't be surprised if it had been soaked through.

"Hey, it's nearly midnight," the boy exclaimed after his Scroll flicked on. Raphael looked down at his now empty bag and sighed.

"I guess we better go then," he replied.

Yuan appeared thoughtful for a moment before perking up. "Oh! I almost forgot! There's one last spot me and Carter used to always trick or treat at. If no one else knows about it, we're bound to win this contest!" The boy hurried off down the street.

The Faunus raised his eyebrows before sighing again, running off to follow his teammate.

* * *

"So this is the place?" Oliver asked. He was looking up at the enormous iron gate separating them from the yard of a huge old mansion.

"Yep. Me and Yuan used to come here all the time during Halloween," Carter replied. "A nice old lady lived here, and she used to give out huge amounts of sweets. I wonder if she still lives here?"

"Only one way to find out!" Oliver pushed on the gate, but nothing budged. He gave it another push, but the gate was locked tight.

"Perhaps no one's home," William remarked.

"It has been a few years, chances are she might not even be living here anymore."

"Hey! So you thought of it too huh?" a voice called behind them. They turned to see Yuan and Raphael walking up to them. They were both dripping wet, and the Faunus was smoking slightly.

"What happened to you two?" Carter asked.

"Uh, long story," Yuan replied. "Hey, there's- oh no." They all turned to see Sam storming towards them. Her bag of candy was completely empty. Rowan and Tiffany trailed behind, keeping their distance.

"Darling!" William exclaimed, running over to his partner.

"Don't start with me," Tiffany warned.

"You alright?" Carter asked as Sam joined them.

"Fine," she fumed.

"She lost at almost all the booths in the square," Rowan whispered to the boy. "The last one was a gambling booth. You can guess what happened."

"Hey, what are we waiting for?" Yuan called. "Let's get to that mansion!"

"The gates locked mate," Oliver replied. "We can't get-" a grinding, wrenching sound rang out behind them. The students whirled around to see Sam break open the lock on the gate and force her way through.

"Well, that's one way to do it," Raphael remarked. The rest stood shocked as Sam marched up the drive towards the huge house.

"W-wait!" Carter stammered. "You can't just break your way in!"

"Watch me!" Sam called back. "I am not losing this contest!"

"You have to admit mate, she's driven," Oliver commented. Carter sighed as he and the rest of the students pursued Sam up the yard.

* * *

"Uh, Emmett? What are we doing?" Nyte asked. ENVY was watching CYRS and OWTR from a few bushes across the street. The team had been having terrible luck throughout the night, and their bags of candy were almost completely empty.

"Winning," Emmett replied. "It's simple. That big house is bound to be giving out heaps of candy. When those losers go to the door and get the sweets, we jump out and nab all the loot. They won't know what hit them, and we'll win this stupid contest."

"If you think its so stupid, then why are you trying so hard to win?" Nyte questioned.

"Because, I am not letting a bunch of losers best me at anything!" They stopped at the sound of grinding metal, and turned to see the gate being forced open by Sam. "C'mon!" and he snuck out of the bushes in pursuit of the other students. Nyte and the rest of ENVY trudged after their leader, dragging empty bags.

* * *

Sam marched right up to the large wooden door of the house, stopping as the rest of the students caught up.

"Trick or treat!" she called as she pounded on the door with her fist. A few long seconds passed before the students heard shuffling inside the house. The door swung open, and an old woman stood hunched at the door. Yet it was not the same women Carter and Yuan had known years ago. This woman looked far meaner.

"Huh? What do you want?" the woman croaked.

"Trick or treat!" Sam exclaimed again, holding out her bag.

"What?! Didn't you see the lock on the gate?! Wait..." she looked past the students towards the gate down the road, it's middle wrenched apart. "Intruders! Law breakers! I'm calling the authorities!" The woman swung her walking stick wildly, pointing it accusingly at each of the students.

"W-wait what?" Sam asked, alarmed.

"Please, miss, we didn't want any trouble!" Carter exclaimed. "Just let us be on our way."

"Why should I? You broke my gate, intruded on my property, and woke me from my afternoon nap! I'll have you all locked up! Unless..." she paused as she observed the hunters and huntresses in training. "Unless you hand over those sweets you've got there."

"What?!" many of the students exclaimed.

"Yes, your candy. I haven't had sweets in years. Hand it over to me, and I'll forget all about this little incident."

"But you don't even have any teeth to eat it with!" Yuan pointed out. The old woman thwacked him on the head with her walking stick, knocking out his fake pointed teeth. "Ow!"

"I've still got a few tucked away somewhere! Now, is it a deal?" The students looked around at each other solemnly before Oliver nodded to Carter.

"Alright, it's a deal," the boy sighed. One by one the students handed over their bags while the old woman giggled maniacally the entire time. As CYRS and OWTR slouched down the drive, ENVY poked their heads from the bushes by the door.

"Hehe, too easy," Emmett remarked.

"What do you mean? They lost all their candy," Nyte remarked.

"I know. Now, instead of having to steal from them, all we have to do is steal from some little old lady!" They exited the bushes and hurried over to the now closed door. Emmett knocked a few times, and once again the old woman opened it.

"I thought I told you kids to get off my- wait, you're not the same children," the woman observed. "What do you want?"

"Give us all the candy you've got lady," Emmett ordered. "Or there'll be serious consequences."

* * *

Carter wasn't sure exactly what happened, but the moment they had exited the gate, the students heard a high pitched scream followed by a small explosion, then the entire team of ENVY flew over the mansions wall and onto the street, flat on their backs.

"Whoa, what happened?" Oliver asked as they ran over to the team. "You alright mates?" Emmett wobbled as he sat up, his hair fizzling slightly.

"Yep, totally fine. Hey, you wouldn't happen to have some candy, would you?" and with that, the boy flopped back onto the ground.

"Well, looks like KONJ is winning the contest," Yuan remarked.

"Wouldn't bet on it," Rowan said, pointing. They turned to see KONJ walking towards them, slouching as they walked. Chad still pushed the large wheelbarrow, but the wagon no longer held a huge mountain of candy. Instead, Opal lay in the wagon, stomach bulging slightly. Her dress was ruined, and the tiara was missing from the girls head.

"Uh, what happened?" Yuan asked as KONJ joined them.

"We turned away for five minutes, and when we came back, it was gone. All of it. I don't even know how she ate it all," Kyla replied. Chad and Norem had looks of shock on their faces as well. Opal groaned from where she lay on the wheelbarrow.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Carter asked with concern.

"I'd be more worried about whoever has to deal with the rainbow vomit trailing for about a mile back," Norem replied, shivering.

"So, no one wins?" Yuan asked. The rest of the students looked around at each other. No one had a single piece of candy left, and the only remaining lights in town were flicking off. The students sighed in defeat, Opal still groaning.

"Yuan?" a voice called suddenly. A woman accompanied by multiple children walked over to where the students gathered.

"Mom?" Yuan said, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just finishing up trick or treating with your siblings. Oh, Carter, it's been too long!" Yuan's mother hugged the team leader tightly.

"Nice to see you too, Ms. Encanto," Carter replied.

"And these must be your other friends! How nice to meet you all!" The other students waved in reply. Even a few of ENVY raised their hands dazedly. "Oh, I know!" and she pulled out a few sweets from her bag. "I don't usually eat this stuff, so you can all have it." She handed out a single piece to each of the students, including ENVY. "Goodbye dear! Don't forget to floss!" Yuan's mother waved as she led her children back down the street, leaving the students.

Throughout the entire town the bell struck twelve, ringing out and signaling the end of the contest. The students each looked down at their one piece, and as small an amount as it was, all had a smile on their face.

"It's a tie then!" Carter announced. The students cheered, many unwrapping and eating their sweets. Opal took one look at the candy in her hand and hurled over the side of the wheelbarrow. Kyla patted her sister on the back, chewing her own candy. ENVY finally came to, and looked around dazedly before noticing the pieces in each of their hands.

"So what happened to the plan?" Nyte asked.

"Shut up and eat your candy," Emmett replied, chewing on a piece of gum. Carter looked around and smiled at all the students happily conversing and eating, all except one.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked Sam, who was staring down at the candy in her hand.

"I'm sorry," she replied. Carter raised his eyebrows.

"Sorry for what?"

"For ruining the night. I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me. If I hadn't barged through that gate, then we wouldn't have lost all our candy."

"Hey, it's fine. It all ended up okay."

"Then, you're not mad?"

"You kidding me? Of course I'm not mad! To be honest, I wasn't even into the contest that much anyways. I had fun, and that's all that matters." Sam smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess that's true. Thank you."

"Any time," Carter replied, walking off to talk to Yuan. Sam unwrapped her candy and popped the sweet in her mouth, chewing happily. She had to admit, for her first Halloween, it had been a pretty good one.

-End

* * *

_Thanks for reading, and welcome back to CYRS!_


	20. Chapter 15: Capture the Flag

_Welcome back to CYRS! RWBY volume 2 was amazing, and now its time for me to return with the second volume of my own story! however before the first chapter I wanted to explain some changes I've made and make a few notes, which I recommend reading. NOTE: I MADE THESE CHANGES BOTH IN THE WRITING ALREADY POSTED AND MY FUTURE PLANS. first off, I've tried to make changes so that I could follow the main rules of the RWBY universe, particularly the color naming rule. don't worry, I haven't changed any first names, I only altered the last names of the characters, so I hope it wont be confusing. however I did change one persons first name; the last member of ENVY who really only appeared twice. I changed his name from Tom to Taupe, and like I said he barely appeared so it isn't as much as a difference. secondly and probably my most drastic change is one you may have noticed in the Halloween chapter. I changed the team name of KNOC (Knock) to KONJ (Conch) In order to match the color naming rule, as "knock" doesn't really represent a color. the names are very similar, so again I hope it wont be very confusing. the last changes I made were very slight alterations to Raphael and Oliver's weapons, but they're barely noticeable. I also removed the charging attack on Carter's pistols to make them less overpowered._

_now for the notes I wanted to make, most of them regarding RWBY volume 2:_

_-Wow, Yang's semblance is really similar to Opal's, but you'll see the difference in the future._

_-I wrote the basic structure of my plot to this story a long time ago, so I've had it planned out for awhile. just as a heads up, this volume will most likely have a few strong similarities to the second volume of RWBY, just as a warning. (I am in NO way insinuating that Rooster Teeth is somehow stealing my ideas. I only say this in order to avoid possible conflict in the future)_

_-This chapter takes place a few weeks after the facility battle with the White Fang, aka the last chapter._

_So without further ado, I present Volume 2 of light through CYRS clouds! Enjoy!_

* * *

Sunlight shone down upon the Emerald forest as birds chirped in the high treetops. All was peaceful and calm, unlike the shadowed beasts that prowled the forest floor. A pack of Beowolves wandered through the trees, red eyes gleaming in the canopy's darkness. As they entered a small clearing, it could be seen that one of the Grimm stood out from the others. Around its neck was fastened a crimson red cloth, although the creature did not seem to notice. The pack of wolves sniffed around the clearing, hunting for their next meal. Little did they know however that they were the ones being hunted.

A boy crouched above on a branch looking down on the clearing, watching the Grimm. As Carter's eyes scanned the pack he caught sight of the red scarf wrapped around one of the creatures' neck. He lifted his hand and made a signal, and the trees behind him barely rustled as his teammates moved up silently from branch to branch. Carter drew both his pistols as he moved forward as well, before jumping out of the trees and into the air.

Before the Grimm had a chance to look up the boy fired his guns, killing a pair of the creatures. He landed directly on top of the scarfed Grimm, crushing it. He quickly untied the cloth and shot around him as the pack roared together and charged from all sides. Carter jumped up as claws ripped apart the air where he had stood, landing outside the mass of Grimm. He fastened the scarf around his arm as the wolves turned to face him.

One of the creatures charged him, fangs gnashing. Quickly Carter transformed his weapons; the pistols extending and folding out into a pair of rifles before continuing on to matching broadswords. The Beowolf slashed out with its claws, but only scraped against the blades as the boy brought the weapons up in defense. The strike still had enough force to push Carter back though, and he was forced to dodge a second strike to regain his balance.

The Grimm charged once more and lunged, aiming directly at the boy. This time Carter gave a slight smile as the tree above him rustled, and suddenly the creature once again met opposition. It was not the boys' broadswords that it met, but a circular brown shield held by a short girl with brown hair. Sam shoved the creature back with her shield as her leader vaulted over her. Carter slashed out with his blade and beheaded the Grimm as he landed in front of Sam.

The two barely had time to glance at each other before more of the pack sprinted at them. They readied their weapons, but before they could charge a Faunus boy jumped out of the trees, cutting off the Grimm. Raphael spun in midair, shooting with his bracers in all directions. A few of the Beowolvess collapsed, and the rest stopped in their tracks as the Faunus landed in front of them. Raphael transformed his weapons as he ran forwards, the guns retracting and blades replacing them. He jumped a strike by one of the claws and landed on the attacking creature. He stabbed his weapons into the creatures' back before leaping onto the second Grimm and doing the same. The last Beowolf tried to jump to the side and avoid the boy, but Raphael quickly stabbed at the Grimm before it could retaliate.

The Faunus jumped backwards to crouch beside Carter and Sam as the three faced the remainder of the pack. The Grimm roared and growled, a few of them backing away from the hunters in training. But those that stayed charged as one cohesive group, a huge mass of black fur and white claws.

The Grimm didn't get very far however, as a wall of flame rose up between them and the students. All eyes turned to the blonde boy stepping out of the woods. Yuan spun his staff spear and raised his shield as the Beowolves turned to face him. He readied his weapon, but it could be seen that the staff looked differently than it did weeks ago. Morning Star was now far more mechanical. A trigger and mechanism was located where the boy held on the staff. On the end where the dust crystals were inserted there was no longer a simple slot for each crystal, but instead a device like a wheel inside the circular head of the spear. As Yuan pressed the trigger of the staff the wheel spun, and the crystals on it rotated so that a new red crystal was pointed directly under the blade of the weapon. The blade began to glow red, and the boy pressed the trigger as one of the Grimm pounced at him. A blast of fire erupted from the blade and launched the creature back.

"Haha yeah!" Yuan laughed, leisurely spinning his weapon. The rest of the Grimm couldn't go any further through the fire, and could only snarl and bark at the students. "This is too easy," The blonde boy bragged, turning to the rest of his team. "I mean c'mon, we haven't even seen-"

He was interrupted as two more students burst through the brush behind him, attacking. Yuan yelped and dodged to the side as a huge axe smashed into the ground beside him. Tiffany wrenched her weapon out of the ground as her partner ran forwards, halberd raised. William and Yuan clashed, their long weapons locked together. As the two boys struggled the armored girl ran forwards while lifting her weapon. Yuan quickly raised his shield with his free hand, and there was a defining clang as the axe hit the shield, knocking the boy backwards.

As Yuan landed on the ground the large wall of fire flickered and died out. The pack of Beowulf's took their chance and continued their charge on the rest of CYRS. Raphael and Sam charged towards the Grimm while Carter aimed his weapons to assist Yuan, who was staggering upwards to face William and Tiffany.

The boy pulled the trigger, but just as the weapons fired a revolver-boomerang spun into the riffles. The shots were knocked off target, splitting a few branches of a tree. Carter spun around to see the owner of the weapon jump into the clearing and catch the boomerang mid-air. Oliver landed in front of Carter and slashed out with his weapons, but the boy transformed his riffles and blocked the attack. The broadswords and boomerangs locked as the two boys faced each other.

"G'day mate!" Oliver greeted before he jumped backwards and threw his weapons. Carter swatted the boomerangs aside as he charged forwards. Oliver's weapons returned to his hands as he blocked his opponents' attack. The two clashed and exchanged blows and blocks, but Carter had the upper hand. His weapons were designed better for close quarters, and as such he was able to push Oliver back.

Oliver stumbled and fell, but righted himself to face Carter a few meters away. He grinned at his opponent and adjusted his hat. Carter prepared to charge, but had failed to realize that the tip of the hat had been a signal. The whistle through the air was the only warning he had to avoid the hooked whip that sprang at him from behind. He jumped to the side to avoid another attack and saw the fox Faunus wielding the weapon jump into the clearing beside her partner. Rowan pulled out her bladed pistol and pointed it at Carter as Oliver aimed his own weapons. CYRS's leader joined his weapons together into the dual bladed staff as the two opened fire.

He spun his weapon and ricocheted the shots away, but his two opponents advanced quickly. Oliver jumped and struck downwards, forcing Carter to block and allowing Rowan to get close. She swung her whip around and hooked the scarf off the boy's arm. Oliver landed and attacked with a flurry of strikes, but as Carter blocked Rowan circled around and attacked from the side. The boy was thrown backwards into the dirt, and looked up to see the two partners retreating towards the woods with the scarf in their possession.

Suddenly a tree crashed down in front of them, and they both turned to see Sam and Raphael intercepting them. They prepared to fight, but the rest of team OWTR suddenly jumped between them. Tiffany and William charged at Sam and Raphael, allowing their leader and his partner to escape.

Tiffany heaved her weapon downwards at Sam, who blocked and redirected the axe into the ground beside her. The small girl extended the blade from her shield and slashed out at her opponent, but only scratched at Tiffany's armor. The taller girl wrenched her axe from the ground, ripping apart the foliage as she did so. The weapon swung around and impacted on Sam's shield, hurling the girl back.

Nearby William spun his halberd around, trying to land a blow on his agile opponent. Raphael blocked another strike from the weapon and cartwheeled, kicking William and knocking him back. The writer brushed the dirt off himself and transformed his halberd into its musket form. He fired multiple shots as the Faunus advanced on him. Raphael dodged each bullet and attacked again, forcing William back even further.

"C'mon!" Yuan yelled as he ran past his leader in pursuit of Oliver. Carter joined him as they both jumped over the fallen tree and into the woods.

* * *

Oliver and his partner stopped to catch their breath in a small clearing away from the fight.

"I think we lost them," Oliver remarked, looking around.

"I don't hear anything," Rowan agreed, her Faunus ears straining. She handed over the scarf to her leader, who tied it around his neck for safekeeping. As they prepared to head off however, the Faunus paused.

"Do you hear something?" the boy asked.

"I think I- look out!" she barely had time to warn her leader before an invisible force knocked her backwards into the brush. Oliver whirled around, trying to see where the attack had come from. Suddenly he was thrust backwards, multiple arrows pinning his shirt to a tree.

Norem materialized out of the air, bow raised and arrow nocked. Two more students appeared from behind the trees, and Oliver sighed as Chad and Kyla walked over.

"I'll take that," Kyla smiled, taking the scarf from Oliver. "Thanks."

But just as Oliver opened his mouth to speak, Carter and Yuan burst through the nearby bushes and attacked. Kyla dodged to the side as her teammates engaged the pair. Carter's broadswords slashed out, but each attack was blocked by a kick from Chad. The dancer spun on his heels, firing multiple shots from his boots as he fought.

Norem shot arrow after arrow at Yuan, who blocked them with sword and shield alike. As the mage was backed into the trunk of a tree, he transformed his weapon into staff form as a Dust crystal spun into place at its head. The blade glowed bright green as he slammed it into the ground, ripping apart the earth and sending columns of rock sprouting at Norem. The archer launched off the stone as it shot up under him, spinning into the air. Before Norem could counterattack, Yuan switched Dust types and launched a fireball at the boy.

Suddenly Chad sprung up and launched off the uprooted stone, dispersing the fireball with a kick before it could hit his partner. The dancer landed by Yuan and delivered a flurry of kicks, preventing the mage from launching another Dust attack.

Norem caught onto a branch and swung himself onto a nearby tree, knocking another arrow. He took aim at Yuan, just as a broadsword flew at him from the ground. He jumped to another branch as the blade embedded itself in the tree, splitting the wood. The archer looked down to see Carter advancing up the tree at him, and he repositioned his aim towards his new opponent.

Down below Kyla had transformed her weapon and was loading a clip into the flamethrower. She took aim to assist her teammates, but her legs were suddenly swept out from under her. The girl rolled onto her back to see Rowan jump over her, snatching the flag.

The Faunus quickly sped out of Kyla's range and made for the trees. Then the last member of KONJ burst from the treetops, smashing down in front of Rowan. Opal rushed forwards, swinging her maces at the Faunus. Rowan flipped backwards to avoid the strikes as they crushed the ground where she had stood. She fired multiple shots at Opal, who swatted the bullets away with her weapons.

Rowan jumped to avoid another swing, grabbing onto a branch and swinging herself into a tree. Propelling off the branch the Faunus spun through the air, continually firing at her opponent. Opal dodged to the side, firing off the head of her mace connected by a chain. The flail smashed into Rowan midair, sending her spiraling off into the trees as she dropped the flag.

The cloth floated gently down through the air towards Opal, who retracted her weapon as she leapt forwards. But before she could snatch the flag, Raphael blurred past, taking it. Opal gritted her teeth and transformed her weapons, taking aim at the Faunus with her flare launchers. Then she heard a whistling behind her, and turned just in time to see a circular shield slam into her chest and launch her backwards. Opal plowed into the tree were Oliver was trapped, crashing right through the wood and splitting the plant.

Sam ran forwards as she caught her shield, Raphael landing beside her. Just as the pair were about to signal their leader, a bout of flame blasted towards them. The Faunus yelped as he dodged away from the fire, but Sam stood her ground behind her shield. Kyla kept the flame from her weapon going, blasting against the soldier. Sam grunted as she advanced through the fire, reaching Kyla and bashing away her weapon. Before the girl could react, Sam activated her semblance and kicked out, launching Kyla away.

William and Tiffany had finally caught up and ran towards the fight in the now burning clearing. Raphael whistled, catching Carter's attention and waving the flag. The leader dodged an arrow from Norem and slashed under him, cutting the branch they were standing on. He swiped his blades towards the archer as the branch fell, throwing him right into William and his partner.

Carter landed beside the fight between Yuan and Chad, slashing out at the dancer. Chad was pushed back against Norem, and they were both forced to turn and fight the new pair. Sam and Raphael joined the rest of CYRS, and Carter gave a quick order to Yuan as they retreated into the trees. The mage spun his staff, creating another tall barrier of fire to cover their escape.

* * *

CYRS sprinted through the trees, Raphael scaling the treetops overhead to keep watch. Finally the four arrived at a large field, its' edge shaded in more tall trees. At the center of the grassy plain stood an ancient and tall stone tower, and just beyond that they could see the cliffs that marked the edge of the Emerald forest in the distance.

"Alright, home stretch!" Yuan cheered as they approached the tower. "We've got this in the bag!" Raphael jumped down from the trees to join his celebration.

"We're not out of this yet," Carter reminded. "Remember, ENVY still holds this area, so stay on your guard." The rest of the team nodded and kept their weapons drawn as they ran. Raphael's Faunus ears twitched, and he glanced back towards the trees.

"We're about to have company," he warned. teams KONJ and OWTR blasted into the field, firing off shots at each other as they pursued CYRS.

"What are your orders?" Sam asked, turning to the team leader.

"Uh, defensive position number... thirty seven!" Carter called.

"Is that the one were I do the ice thing, or is that number thirty two?" Yuan asked.

"That's twenty five!" Sam barked. "Do you even pay attention at practice!?"

"Hey, how am I supposed to remember all these numbers? Just tell me where to shoot and I'm golden!"

"Guys!" Carter broke in. "The other teams are almost-" he was cut off as a blue-glowing boomerang spun next to them. The projectile flew in an arc close to the ground in front of them, leaving a trail of large ice spikes in its wake.

"We're cut off!" Raphael growled, spinning around with the rest of CYRS to face the oncoming teams. The boomerang had spun back into Oliver's hand before he loaded more dust rounds into its cylinder.

"Protect the flag," Carter ordered. "If you can escape with it, get to the cliffs as quickly as possible, the rest will follow behind when they can." The team nodded, Raphael gripping the red flag tight in his hand. They yelled and lunged forwards as the three teams converged.

A flurry of blades, dust, and bullets ensued as the students fought. Raphael clashed with Tiffany, who knocked the Faunus back before Chad sprinted forwards and kicked out at Raphael. The Faunus dropped the flag and flew backwards as the dancer made for the flag. Then the head of a halberd hooked the cloth and brought it to William, who barley held it before Carter stole it away with a few swings of his swords. The boy spun to escape the battle, but Opal smashed her maces into Carter and caused the flag to launch up into the air.

Raphael caught sight of the cloth and quickly dodged another axe swing from Tiffany. He jumped and kicked off her armor, launching towards the flag. Norem saw the Faunus jump for the flag and knocked an arrow before firing. The arrow shot not at the Faunus, but instead hit the flag and snagged it, pinning it to the stone at the very top of the tower looming over them.

All twelve of the students paused as they looked at the flag before acting. Kyla gave an order and Chad ran forwards, shooting off the ground with his boots towards the tower.

"Rowan!" Oliver barked, and his partner swung her whip around and hooked onto one of the dancer's boots. Rowan wrenched the whip back, causing Chad to crash back down onto the ground. Oliver quickly gave another order to his team.

"Gravity hook!" he bellowed, and the rest of OWTR responded immediately. They joined together before Tiffany swung her axe in a wide arc, pushing back the other teams. She dug the head of her weapon into the ground, standing on it and pulling the lever on its side. The chained grapple shot from the handle of the axe, embedding into the top of the tower.

The rest of OWTR grabbed onto the axe as well, loading gravity dust rounds into their weapons. Before any of the other teams could intervene, they all shot simultaneously as Tiffany pulled back on the axe's lever. OWTR launched into the air as the weapon was drawn to the tower, landing at the very top of the structure.

"Yuan, get Raph up there!" Carter ordered as he and Sam tried to fight off KONJ. Yuan spun the dust compartment on the end of his staff, a blue crystal setting in place. He slashed the air and sent out a few small homing projectiles that hit the side of the tower. Ice began sprouting from the places of impact, creating a series of platforms leading to the top.

Raphael glowed just as KONJ broke through Carter and Sam, speeding forwards and up the tower with his semblance.

* * *

Meanwhile, Oliver had pried the crimson flag off the stone. The rest of OWTR peered down the structure at the battle below.

"Alright mates, good hustle," he exclaimed. "Now, let's get ourselves off this tower and head for the cliffs!" The others nodded, before Rowan jumped back in surprise.

"Heads up!" she exclaimed as she pointed. Missiles of ice impacted on the tower, creating spikes all up the structure. They saw Raphael quickly ascending the tower on the ice, approaching fast.

"Here he-" Tiffany couldn't finish her sentence as the Faunus blurred over her, kicking her towards the edge. The girl slammed her axe into the stone as she fell, barley stopping herself from plummeting.

William slashed to the sides with his halberd, unable to hit the speeding Faunus. Raphael dodged another strike and flipped backwards, kicking the writers weapon from his hands and sending it spiraling down the tower. As the Faunus landed, he lunged forwards and slammed into William, knocking him back and sending him clear over the edge.

The boy flailed as he fell past Tiffany, calling out in distress. She cursed in annoyance and released her axe from the stone, falling after her partner. Tiffany grabbed onto him and heaved her weapon back into the tower, slowing their accent and allowing them to land safely at the bottom of the structure.

"Darling, you saved my life!" William proclaimed as he hugged his partner. "How can I ever repay you?"

"Oh shut up," the girl retorted, pushing him away. "You could have survived that. I just saved you some aura."

"And yet, I shall continue to remember this act of kindness till the day I die, for it is one done by none other than-" an explosion erupted next to the two, cutting off the writer. They whirled around to see Opal advancing on them, grinning and giggling happily.

* * *

Back overhead, Raphael fought tooth and nail against the remaining members of OWTR. Rowan swung her whip around, trying to hook onto the other Faunus. The boy blurred around the strikes, lunging past her at Oliver. The team leader dodged and threw his weapons, the boomerangs spinning into the Faunus and knocking him away.

Raphael stabbed the blades on his bracers into the stone to steady himself. Oliver spun the cylinder on his boomerang, causing it to glow blue again as Raphael ran towards him. The boy threw the weapon, guiding it with his semblance directly at the Faunus's chest. Raphael tried to dodge the weapon, but Rowan's whip swung towards him and forced him to dodge right into the boomerang.

Ice spread over Raphael's body until he was completely encased save for his head. The ice cube Faunus fell to the floor at the pair's feet, unable to move.

"Might want to put some ice on that mate," Oliver chuckled, sheathing his weapons. Raphael struggled for a minute before accepting defeat and sighing.

"Sorry Raph!" Rowan called as she and Oliver ran to the edge of the tower and prepared to depart. Suddenly the whole tower shook, and the two looked down at the structures base.

Opal was bombarding the stone structure with blasts from her flare launchers, each shot exploding a piece of the tower apart. William and Tiffany had escaped the scene and were frantically trying to avoid Opal's fire. The girl caught sight of Rowan and Oliver looking over the edge and changed her aim.

Explosions erupted across the top of the tower, causing the structure to tip backwards from the damage at is base. All three students were launched backwards, Raphael still encased in ice. He flew into the upper branches of a tree, stuck and unable to move. Oliver dropped the flag as he and Rowan crashed into the ground, the stone tower collapsing down behind them.

OWTR's leader staggered upwards and stumbled towards the flag, but stopped dead as he saw the last team of their year. Emmett and the rest of ENVY stood in front of him, flag in hand.

"Thanks for the flag losers, this is so much easier when you're helping me out," Emmett mocked, stuffing the scarf into his pocket. "Make sure they don't follow us," he said to Nyte and Veronica as he turned away. Nyte spun his hook-swords as he stepped forwards while Veronica drew her own weapons. She held a pair of long pistols, each with an ornate blade on its top.

The two sped forwards to strike, Nyte slashing out at Oliver. But as he got close, Tiffany appeared and smashed down in front of her leader, blocking the strikes with her armor. She heaved her axe towards the boy, who raised his blades in a panicked defense. The impact launched him backwards into a tree beside Emmett, stopping the leader in his tracks.

Nearby Veronica shot a hail of bullets towards Rowan, who rolled out of the way as William jumped from behind a boulder from the fallen tower. The writer spun his halberd around him, ricocheting the shots as he advanced. Rowan flipped over him and thrashed her whip, knocking Veronica back to the rest of her team.

"You should know when to stand down," Emmett chastised to his opponents, hefting his lance onto his shoulder.

"And you should know we won't give up that easily," Oliver replied, drawing his own weapons. As the teams were about to charge, they paused, hearing loud yelling. The sound was getting closer. All heads turned to see KONJ charging, not at OWTR, but at ENVY.

"Hey mate!" Oliver called, catching Emmett's attention. "I think you should stand down!"

ENVY's leader growled and lifted his lance, transforming the weapon. The sides of the lance folded inwards, and multiple long gun barrels expanded from its center. The lance quickly became a long minigun, its multiple barrels spun rapidly. Emmett sneered as he fired in a wide arc in front of him, causing OWTR and KONJ to scatter.

Emmett continued to barrage all around him, slicing apart trees and dirt alike. Then Carter, Sam, and Yuan burst from the brush behind ENVY and attacked. Sam slammed into Emmett, causing him to stop firing as he tripped forwards. The boy transformed his weapon back into the lance as the rest of his team battled Yuan and Carter. He thrust his weapon towards the girl, who blocked the attack with her shield and kicked the lance askew. Emmett spun the weapon around him and smashed it into the ground. Bits of earth and rock were flung up at the girl. She dodged the dirt and attacked, right into Emmett's strike.

The girl was flung back, smashing into the base of the tree were Raphael was trapped. The Faunus began slipping, the ice still encased around him sliding through the branches.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Raphael yelled as he plummeted towards the ground. Sam saw him and rolled forwards, catching the trapped Faunus. "Whew, thanks. I almost- wait, what are you doing?! No no no-" Sam hefted the ball of ice, activating her semblance and launching it at Emmett.

The leader's eyes widened as he swept his lance at the ice, shattering it and sending bits of ice sparkling over the battle. Raphael reacted quickly, activating his semblance once again and blurring around his opponent. He snatched the flag away from Emmett and kicked out, pushing the leader back.

But before the Faunus could escape, team KONJ sped into the fray. Norem lashed out as Chad stole the flag away from Raphael. Opal flipped over the two as Kyla joined them, and they quickly ran towards the trees.

Emmett growled and swung his lance, knocking Raphael away. He raised his hand, and sparks of electricity began crackling between his fingers. Kyla heard the attack charging as she neared the trees and spun around.

"Keep going!" She ordered as she raised her weapon. Emmett launched the bolt of lightning as Kyla pulled the trigger of her flamethrower. The elemental attacks met dead on, creating a massive explosion that blasted the other teams off their feet. Emmett was launched back as Kyla took cover behind a tree until the explosion subsided. KONJ quickly regrouped and hurried towards the cliffs in the distance, leaving the rest of the teams to gather their bearings.

* * *

Close to the southernmost point in the cliffs surrounding the Emerald forest was a collection of ruins. No ravine separated the overhang from the trees like most of the forest's borders. Instead, a multitude of small and crumbling stone buildings stood at its base. More structures jutted out from the side of the cliff, with a winding staircase connecting to each of them. Nature had reclaimed most of the area, roots and vines having wound through much of the rock. The plants hung like curtains, swaying in the wind from the buildings jutting from the cliff.

KONJ jogged through the deteriorating structures as they neared the cliffs, continually checking behind them for trouble. They came to what appeared to be an ancient plaza, with weeds poking through its ornate tiles. As they stopped to catch their breath, Opal looked around curiously.

"Hey sis," she began. "Where are all the Grimm? They're usually here, aren't they?" Chad and Norem lifted their heads and looked around cautiously. She was right, ruins like these were usually packed with the monsters. But the dense collection of structures held no sign of movement or noise.

"They were probably attracted to all the noise we made earlier in the fighting," the leader replied. "That's why I had us take the long way here; to avoid the horde most likely charging right for that downed stone tower. With any luck, they'll distract the other students and let us deliver the flag without any trouble."

"Clever," Norem remarked.

"Yeah! Now that's our leader!" Chad cheered. "Let's head up those cliffs!" The rest nodded and continued towards the base of the cliffs at the end of the plaza, running right into the ambush.

CYRS burst from the stone buildings, surrounding KONJ instantly. All eight students raised their weapons, but none pulled the trigger yet.

"We'll have that flag back, if you don't mind," Carter greeted.

"How'd you get past the Grimm?" Kyla sighed, untying the cloth from around her arm. None of CYRS saw the hand signal she gave to her team, who silently acknowledged it.

"We snuck around it, following you. It was a good plan though, I think they're still holding up ENVY and OWTR."

"Yeah, You could say they're in a rather 'Grimm' situation," Yuan jested. A collective groan of protest sounded from both CYRS and KONJ before Kyla continued.

"Well there's that I guess, thanks," she replied. She tossed the flag towards the boy, and just as he caught it, raised her weapon. The flag was fireproof of course, but Carter was not, and was blasted backwards into one of the ruins. The rest of KONJ attacked, catching the other team off guard and knocking them back as well. Kyla quickly scooped up the flag once more, tying it around her arm.

A huge crash sounded from the edge of the ruins, and they saw the other teams sprint into view. OWTR and ENVY barely had any chances to attack each other, as they were too busy fleeing from the mass of Grimm on their tail.

"Let's move!" Kyla ordered, but as they turned towards the cliff, more Grimm ran into their path.

"Looks like not all of them left," Norem commented, nocking an arrow into his bow. CYRS had begun to recover, Carter frantically trying to beat the fire off himself. Kyla looked around desperately until she saw a thin stone tower standing a few structures down.

"Opal, use that tower to block the oncoming Grimm!" she commanded.

"You got it sis!" The girl replied. "Chad, gimme a lift!" Opal ran forwards as Chad flipped to a handstand. She jumped onto the bottom of his feet, and he kicked off a shot as she was launched into the air. Opal fired a volley of flares that erupted across the base of the structure, which began to fall down onto the street as the girl landed on a nearby roof.

As he ran Oliver saw the girl get launched into the air and damage the structure, realizing Kyla's plan. The rest of his team kept pace against the Grimm, while ENVY lagged behind closer to the monsters.

"We've got trouble mates!" he warned as he drew his weapons. "Hang on!" The boy activated more dust rounds in his boomerangs, throwing them both. Pale blue light emitted from the weapons as a powerful gust of wind propelled them forwards, sweeping them under the collapsing tower just as it crashed to the ground. ENVY stopped dead in their tracks at the structure, and were forced to turn and fight the Grimm.

OWTR slid to a stop in front of CYRS and KONJ, weapons drawn. The Grimm that still blocked the path to the cliffs roared and charged towards the students, stampeding through the ruins.

"That's a lot of Grimm," Yuan gaped.

"Anyone up for a temporary truce?" Oliver asked. The other leaders looked skeptical before looking from the mass of Grimm to their teammates and back.

"We're in," Carter said.

"Us too," Kyla agreed.

"Just letting you know though, we're taking that flag once we're done with the Grimm," Oliver jested.

"I'd like to see you try," the girl smirked, loading a clip into her flamethrower.

"So what's the plan?" Sam asked. The three leaders looked towards the oncoming mass of monsters. The Grimm were sending up billows of dust from the crushed stone as they barrelled through the ruins. The three leaders smiled and nodded to each other before sending out orders.

"Yuan, uproot the stone in front of us!" Carter yelled. His teammate quickly obliged, activating the needed dust and slamming his staff into the ground. The earth under the plaza was thrust upwards, creating multiple stone pillars.

"Heavies, crush the stone to sand and get ready to move!" Kyla ordered. Sam and Tiffany ran forwards and slammed their weapons into the rock. Opal jumped down from the rooftops and slammed her maces into the pillars as well. The stone was quickly crumbled to fine powder before the three girls jumped back.

Oliver activated another cartridge of wind dust inside his boomerangs, throwing them towards the crushed stone. The weapons blew the sand forwards, sending a huge dense cloud towards the horde of Grimm.

The creatures stumbled and tripped, blind inside the cloud. Their crimson eyes swiveled around in search for the students. Then one of the Beowolves roared in pain, a black arrow protruding from its eye. More arrows whistled through the cloud, each landing fatal blows to their target. As the Grimm searched for the attacker Rowan and Raphael sped through their midst, hidden by the dust. Grimm collapsed left and right from the two Faunus's sneak attacks as arrows continued to blind and kill the monsters.

The pack was mostly comprised of Beowolves and Ursi, however one Grimm towards the back differed. The leader of the monsters; a large and ancient Deathstalker, snapped its pinchers angrily as it stumbled around in the dust cloud. It swiped one of its massive claws, dispersing a portion of the billowing dust.

The scorpion caught sight of Raphael and Rowan and charged the Faunus. The two jumped away as its stinger smashed into the ground. A few arrows shot towards the creature, but it batted the projectiles away and turned to face Norem. The Deathstalker smashed its pincers into the structure were the boy stood, forcing him to retreat back to the others.

Carter, Kyla, and Oliver ran fowards as the rest of the students defeated the remainder of the Grimm. The three leaders split apart from each other as the scorpion again crushed the ground with its stinger. Oliver quickly activated more dust in his weapon and spun the boomerang into the stinger. Ice sprouted at the end of the Deathstalker's tail, trapping it to the ground. Carter and Kyla attacked from the sides and fired at the creature's legs. Flames and bullets tore at a few of the legs before the monster roared in both fury and pain.

The Deathstalker ripped its tail from the ground, tearing up a chunk of rock with its stinger. The Grimm flailed its tail, launching the chunk of dirt into Oliver. The boy crashed into a stone structure near his team as the scorpion turned its gaze on the other team leaders.

Carter dived under a pincer as Kyla doused the other in flames. The boy batted away a second strike and rolled towards the creature's face. His swords flashed as he slashed away at the monster's eyes, but each strike glanced off the Grimm's armor. Pincers snapped at the boy, barely missing as he jumped out of the mouth's reach.

"No dice on the eyes, we'll have to try the tail again," Carter stated as he landed besides Kyla.

"Alright, I'll distract it while you get to its back. If we can weaken its armor beforehand then-" a pincher smashed between them, forcing the two apart. "Go, now!" she yelled.

Carter charged forwards as Kyla shot more flames at the giant. But instead of turning towards the girl, the Grimm charged forwards to meet Carter.

"Damn!" the boy cursed as he jumped to avoid a claw. The strike grazed his side, cutting away at Carter's aura. He staggered as he fell to the ground, the Deathstalker scuttling up behind him.

"Hey! Over here!" Kyla called, launching a stream of fire at the creatures back. The Grimm turned and snapped its pinchers angrily as the girl changed clips on her weapon. Instead of a torrent of fire erupting from the flamethrower, a fireball blasted towards the Grimm as she pulled the trigger. The Deathstalker screeched as the flame impacted its face and exploded.

The Grimm flailed and stumbled dazedly, smacking into a few of the ancient ruins. Pieces of the topmost buildings collapsed, falling towards the battle bellow. Kyla gasped as she dived away from the falling boulders. Her flamethrower skidded away on the stone as the Deathstalker regained its vision, turning towards her. The Grimm raised its tail, thrusting it down at the girl.

Then Chad leapt into view and kicked the stinger, knocking it off course. The tail smashed into the ground right next to Kyla, barely missing her.

"Whoa dude, that was close!" the dancer laughed as he helped up his leader. The Grimm roared at the newcomer as Carter joined the pair, completely recovered.

"Chad, trip up the Deathstalker and keep it still," Kyla ordered.

"You got it!" he replied, raising his hand. It glowed as he activated his semblance, and he smashed his fist into the ground in front of the Grimm. The tiles under the monster glowed as well and immediately lost all friction. The Deathstalkers legs slipped as if it were on ice, and it collapsed onto the ground as its legs gave out.

"Charge!" Carter yelled as he, Kyla and Chad ran at the monster.

* * *

Oliver shook his head, clearing his vision as he sat up. His hat was stuck under a few rocks nearby, and he pulled it out as he set it on his head.

"Oliver, are you alright my friend?" William asked as he ran up to the boy.

"Little bruised, but I'll be alright," he replied, standing and dusting himself off. He looked to see the two other team leaders and Chad battling the scorpion, and it didn't look like it was going well. "Where are Tiffany and Rowan?"

"Still working on the other Grimm, along with the rest of KONJ and CYRS."

"Dang, we need some other way to defeat that Deathstalker then with just us."

"If I may, I believe my semblance could be of some use in this situation," the writer offered.

"Are you sure? You've never tried to control a Grimm that big, and I'm not sure if you'll be able to."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," William smiled. Oliver pondered for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, let's give it a go," he affirmed. "I'll cover you while you get close, then the rest's up to you." The two left the rubble onto the open plaza, facing the Deathstalker. "Let's go!" and they charged towards the battle.

* * *

Carter and Chad blocked another strike from the Grimm's pinchers, Kyla ducking under them and shooting multiple blasts of fire at the creature. The Deathstalker roared and pushed back the three students, rearing its tail to strike. Then a boomerang spun into the tail, electrocuting the scorpion and stunning it for a moment.

"Oliver!" Kyla called happily as OWTR's leader ran up and caught his weapon.

"G'day mates!" Oliver greeted as he sped by. "Would you mind keeping that Deathstalker still for awhile? William here's got a few things to say to him!" The others looked to the writer and nodded, charging forwards.

The scorpion was still immobilized on the altered tiles, however it could still strike out with its tail and claws. Kyla and Chad attacked the left claw while Carter charged towards the right. He activated his semblance as the claw snapped around him, protecting himself.

Meanwhile Oliver and William charged directly at the beast's center. The stinger lashed out at them, and each time Oliver blocked the strike with a throw of his weapons. When they got between the two claws, William raised his hand as he activated his semblance and pointed at the creature. The Deathstalker paused for a moment, it's eyes glazing over.

"it's working!" Oliver exclaimed. He soon ate his words however as the Grimm shook its head, it's eyes returned to blood red color.

"Well, it was worth a shot," William gulped, backing away from the growling Grimm. "I suggest we take our leave."

"Agreed," Oliver replied, and they both jumped back as the Deathstalker flung away the other three students. The tiles underneath the scorpion ceased glowing as Chad hit the ground a short distance away.

"Well that can't be good," William noted. The Grimm roared as it regained its footing, snapping its claws angrily. As it began to charge them however, a hail of bullets shot into the monster. It's armored was torn apart as the Deathstalker was pushed back from the bullets. After only a few moments the giant scorpion was reduced to a twitching mess among the rubble of ruins. The students turned to see who their savior was, only to see ENVY standing atop the fallen tower.

"I'll take that flag now," Emmett sneered, aiming his weapon towards the other students. Only a few more Grimm remained, allowing the other members of the teams to turn and see what was happening. Oliver gave a signal to William, motioning to a nearby Ursa that was stumbling between the ruins.

"Sorry mate, but the flag's already taken," Oliver smiled.

"Oh really? And how do you plan on taking it when we've got-" Emmett was cut off as a boomerang hit him square in the chest, launching him backwards off the collapsed tower. As the rest of ENVY scramble back in surprise Oliver launched his second boomerang at Kyla, snagging the scarf and bringing it to him before she could react.

"Truce's over! Good working with you mates!" OWTR's leader grinned. "Now Will!"

The other students turned from where they were about to attack the boy to see William raise his hand. The writer had secretly used his semblance while the others weren't looking, taking control of the Ursa. The charmed Grimm charged into the students midst, catching them off guard and scattering them. William and Oliver jumped onto the Grimm and rode it over to Tiffany and Rowan before charging towards the cliffs.

"Don't let them get away!" Kyla ordered as she led her team after them. Carter gathered the other members of CYRS and pursued the team as well, who by now had made it to the stairs winding up the cliff.

* * *

"Good show, good show indeed!" William cheered as he steered the Ursa up the stone steps. "A simply marvelous turnabout!"

"Thanks mate!" Oliver chuckled, clutching the black fur of the monster tightly. Behind him Rowan and Tiffany were less than willing to be optimistic about the situation.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Tiffany asked, looking skeptically down at the Grimm.

"Yeah, it's perfectly fine," the team leader replied. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because we're riding on the back of a Grimm!"

"C'mon, you were the first to see Will's semblance and how it works! You know better than anyone else that it's fine."

"Do not fear darling! I've got everything under control!" William called back. "I am steering after all!"

"That's what I'm worried about!" the girl exclaimed.

"Uh, guys," Rowan broke in. "I think the Grimm is the least of our problems." A flare shot directly overhead, missing them barely and exploding on a portion of the cliff. They turned to see KONJ quickly ascending the stairs behind them, however they still couldn't keep up with the Ursa.

"We'll be able to make it to the cliffs as long as we don't get hit with one of those shots," Oliver announced.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Tiffany asked.

"A minute ago you didn't want anything to do with it!"

"I know that! I just meant-" another flare barely missed them, but the explosion still impacted on the stairs underneath. The stone crumble and broke away, and the team fell onto one of the structures jutting from the cliff face. As they fell an arrow shot past and snagged the flag from Oliver, pinning it to the stairs above. The Ursa collapsed with them, smashing into the stone besides them.

KONJ reached where the staircase had been shot, a large gap now in the steps. Kyla snatched the flag as they jumped the gap, looking down onto OWTR. The team had recovered from their fall and were currently trying to climb back up. Farther down CYRS and ENVY were climbing up the steps, approaching fast.

"Opal, create an avalanche," Kyla instructed. "That should hopefully buy us some time."

"Yes sir!" the girl grinned, saluting. She took aim and fired down on the stone just above the other teams and fired. Explosions erupted across the face of the cliff, causing boulders to cascade downwards.

* * *

Emmett heard the explosions and looked up to see bits of the cliff collapsing towards him.

"Damn it! Nyte, get us past that!" He ordered as he raised his hand. Electricity shot from his palm and broke apart the rocks just above him and his partner. The other half of ENVY was not as lucky, and were thrown off the cliff face as the rocks blasted into the stairs. Thankfully they were still moderately close to the ground, and the pair were able to land in a tree safely. Nyte turned back to look at the other members of his team with concern.

"What are you waiting for? Shot the harpoons!" Emmett demanded.

"Shouldn't we go back and get them?" Nyte asked.

"There's no time!" the leader spat. "We can take the flag on our own! Now let's go!" Nyte sighed and shot the harpoons from the hilt of his hook swords as more stone collapsed around them. The points embedded into the stone near KONJ. Emmett grabbed onto the boy as he retracted the harpoons, pulling upwards past the falling rocks. They shot past OWTR and CYRS, who had both hidden under cover against the avalanche.

The pair landed just behind KONJ, who had climbed up onto another jutting building close to the top of the cliff. The team spun around as ENVY's leader launched an arcing bolt of lighting, throwing them back and sending up a cloud of dust.

"You should've just given us the flag at the beginning," Emmett smirked. Suddenly Chad burst from the dust and lashed out. Emmett blocked the strikes with his lance and armor, the kicks glancing off both. He kicked out and swung his weapon, knocking back the dancer towards the cloud.

Nyte made to assist his leader until an arrow embedded into the ground by his feet, stopping him. Norem walked out of the dust cloud, another arrow at the ready. The swordsman ducked under another arrow, shooting a harpoon towards the archer. Norem dodged to the side and shot three more arrows at his target, retreating back into the dust. Nyte blocked each projectile with his blades before activating his semblance. His hook sword began to glow before he slashed out, sending a wave of energy at where Norem had disappeared. The dust cloud was completely dispersed, yet the slash didn't hit its target, and there was no sign of the boy.

Nyte looked around frantically for Norem before he heard a twang behind him. He rolled backwards as an arrow shot overhead and kicked out randomly. His foot met an invisible force and he heard a grunt of pain from the invisible archer. Norem's semblance fell away as the boy became visible again. Nyte delivered a flurry of slashes and strikes at his opponent, knocking him right into Chad.

The dancer stumbled as his partner hit him, giving just enough time for Emmett to land a blow with his lance and send them both falling off the cliff.

"Good riddance," Emmett spat. "Now, where are the other two..."

"Right here!" Opal announced as she smashed into the ground next to the boys. Nyte yelled out in shock as the girl rushed at him, swinging her maces wildly. Emmett ran to intercept, but felt a hot singe on his cheek and dodged to the side as a burst of flame shot past. He turned to face Kyla, who already had another clip of fire loaded.

"Heh, I already beat half your team, what makes you think you'll do any better?"

"Because I've got Opal," Kyla smirked. Emmett heard another shout from his partner behind him and whirled around in time to see Opal knock him off the edge. Nyte was able to steady himself for a safe landing with his harpoons, but he landed all the way down the cliff with the other two members of ENVY.

Emmett growled and turned on Kyla, charging at the other leader. The girl transformed her weapon, splitting the flamethrower into the falchion and shield. However the boy was far more powerful than Kyla, and he was able to bat the weapons away and land a few blows. The red flag dropped from Kyla's grasp, and Emmett snatched up the cloth. He swung his lance down onto the girl, who raised her hand in panic. Both her hand and the lance glowed, and the weapon was suddenly wrenched out of Emmett's hand as it floated into the air.

Before Emmett could snatch at his weapon Opal smashed her weapons into him, knocking him to the side. The girl roared a battle cry and charged at the boy, who panicked and shot a bolt of lighting blindly. The strike missed both the girls, but tore apart the ground at their feet instead. They both fell through the stone structure, tangling into the vines far below.

"Oh, hey guys!" Opal greeted. Both Chad and Norem were tangled up next to them.

"Hey Opal..." Norem replied.

"We're sorry Kyla, looks like we're not winning this one..." Chad sulked. He and Norem both had looks of disappointment. Even Opal looked a bit down. Surprisingly however, Kyla smiled at her team.

"What are you guys sulking about?" She asked kindly. "You did your best, and that's what counts. Norem, that was some sharp shooting you did there. And Chad, once again you've shown how you're still a master of making dance one of the most effective combat styles in beacon." The two boys lightened up and smiled as well.

"Thanks!" they both exclaimed.

"And Opal, you did wonderful as well. I don't think anyone's destroyed as many of the forest's ruins as you have. You even landed a hit on Emmett!"

"Really? Nice!" Chad cheered.

"Yeah, you should have seen his face!" Opal bragged. "He looked like he was gonna pee his pants when I ran at him!" The others laughed along with her, completely forgetting about their loss only a moment ago.

"See, what did I tell you? Now what do you say we have a nice feast tonight to celebrate our fourth place victory?"

"Yay!" Opal cheered. "Can we invite CYRS and OWTR?"

"Sure, they can come. It'll be a nice little party." Kyla looked up through the vines towards where the other teams were most likely ascending the cliffside.

* * *

Emmett brushed himself off as he picked up his lance. The leader looked down at his team still in the tree and huffed to himself, stuffing the flag into his pocket. He turned and started towards the stairs that would take him the rest of the way to the top of the cliff. Suddenly a blur sped by and he was knocked off his feet. Emmett landed by the edge and looked to see Raphael holding the flag, standing beside the rest of CYRS.

"Hey Emmett, sorry we're late," Carter greeted.

Emmett roared and launched a bolt of lighting at the team, but Yuan quickly raised his staff and activated a dust crystal. The lightning arched into the blade as if it were a lightning rod, completely absorbed. Yuan aimed the now sparking blade at the boy, but did not fire.

"Give up. We've got you outnumbered, and we have the flag."

"Never!" Emmett snarled as he transformed his lance to the minigun. Before he could fire however, Yuan released the lighting back at Emmett, blasting him backwards off the cliff. ENVY's leader fell all the way to the bottom, landing safely besides his team in the branches.

"Still think we could have taken them?" Nyte asked. Veronica had pulled out her Scroll and hadn't even noticed her leaders return. Taupe still held his sullen appearance and hadn't reacted either.

"Shut up," Emmett replied, hitting himself with a branch as he tried to pull himself out of the tree.

* * *

"Yuan!" Carter chastised. "What was that for?"

"What? He almost attacked us!" the mage replied. "Plus he's fine, look!" Carter looked down over the edge towards ENVY, all still trapped in a tree. Before he could turn around and reply, a boomerang spun from below and knocked him back. Oliver jumped onto the structure, the rest of his team joining him on all sides of CYRS. William was riding atop the large Ursa, which was growling at the team.

"I'll take that flag mate," OWTR's leader greeted, raising his weapons.

"Sorry, but we're winning this game," Carter replied. Oliver launched his weapon at the boy, who quickly blocked the attack before giving an order to his team; "pinwheel shockwave!" Raphael activated his semblance, dashing around his team in a blur repeatedly and blocking the enemies attacks. Yuan activated multiple dust types in his weapon as Sam propelled off Carter, jumping high into the air. Yuan launched the multi-dust attack as she came crashing down, smashing the energy into the ground.

An elemental shockwave spread across the structure, knocking away Rowan and Tiffany. Oliver and William jumped the attack, however their Ursa was blasted backwards into the cliff. CYRS attacked the remainder of OWTR, Carter and Raphael going after William while Sam and Yuan fought Oliver.

William arced his halberd in front of him, trying to keep the other students at bay. Carter knocked the pole arm upwards with his broadsword, allowing Raphael to get close. The Faunus slashed out repeatedly, knocking the writer backwards towards the cliff. The two prepared to attack again just as Tiffany and Rowan swung over the edge with their weapons. The two girls attacked, Tiffany knocking Carter back and Rowan tripping up the other Faunus.

As his teammates fought William heard a growl behind him and turned to see the Ursa regaining from the shockwave. The writer raised his arm and pointed over to where his leader was fighting, commanding the Grimm to attack as he charged as well.

Sam heard a roar behind her as she blocked an attack from Oliver. She dodged to the side as the Ursa attacked, crushing its claws into the stone. Yuan raised his staff to attack the creature, just as William blocked the attack with his halberd. The two boys fought, long weapons clashing as Sam tried to dodge both the Grimm and Oliver.

The warrior was knocked back into the center of the structure from another attack. The Ursa roared and charged at her, and she yelled in frustration as he activated her semblance and slammed her fist into the stone below her. Huge cracks split throughout the structure, and the half not anchored to the cliff began to fall away. The Ursa was thrown back between the two boys, stopping their battle.

Oliver jumped to safety as did Sam, however William and Yuan fell along with the crumbling structure. They each snatched onto a few of the hanging vines, however the Grimm fell the entire way down the cliff. The Ursa smashed into the ground bellow, the broken structure cascading onto it.

Cracks continued to spread throughout the structure, towards where the other half of the teams were battling. Tiffany swung her axe into Carter's weapons, not realizing the structure was crumbling until the ground at her feat began to give way. Her opponent slashed out, and she hooked onto his swords with her weapon. She tossed Carter backwards while simultaneously thrusting herself forwards onto a safe patch of stone. The boy quickly tried to escape towards the cliff as well, stone crumbling underneath.

Tiffany swung her axe at the boy as he neared, but a clang echoed as Sam blocked the attack with her shield. Carter followed up with an attack, pushing Tiffany back into the cliff.

Nearby Raphael and Rowen battled furiously, jumping from stone to stone as the structure collapsed underneath them. A boomerang spun between them as Oliver joined the fray, attacking Raphael. The Faunus flipped backwards repeatedly, dodging more attacks. As he landed another boomerang smashed into him, throwing him backwards into the rest of his team.

Rowan and Oliver followed him as the remaining members of CYRS stood back to back. The three remaining members of OWTR surrounded them, weapons raised.

"Where's Yuan?" Carter asked.

"He may have fallen off the cliff after I broke the structure apart," Sam admitted. "The plus side is that I got Will and the Ursa."

"I wouldn't say I'm out of the count yet!" a voice sounded, and William climbed onto the structure. "I happen to be an excellent climber!" The writer joined the rest of his team in surrounding CYRS.

"Great, now what?" Raphael growled.

"You might be able to knock a few of them off with your speed," Carter whispered. "Me and Sam could try and take care of the rest." The Faunus nodded as he raised his bracers. "Get ready to fight when I say."

"Alright mate, fun's over," Oliver called. "You're a man down, and I doubt you've got any fight left."

"Don't bet on it," CYRS's leader replied. "Now!" Raphael glowed as he activated his semblance. But before he could even take a step, the Faunus collapsed onto the ground. Carter quickly checked his scroll to see his partners aura levels almost completely depleted from the amount of semblance use. OWTR charged as the leader quickly turned to Sam. "Sam, throw him!"

"What?!" the girl exclaimed.

"He's got the flag, get him to the top of the cliff and end this!" Carter clasped his broadswords together into a staff and spun the weapon around them, barely keeping away the other team. Sam grubbed the scruff of Raphael's collar and hoisted the Faunus.

"Ugg, what are you doing...?" Raphael groaned. "Wait, are you-!? No no no!" Sam chucked the Faunus upwards just as she was knocked back.

"No!" Oliver yelled out as the Faunus flew all the way to the top of the cliff. Raphael arced and landed on the top of the cliff, scarf still in hand. The game had been won.

"Yes!" Carter cheered as OWTR lowered their weapons.

"Dang, almost had it that time," Oliver sighed. "Good game mate!" He and Carter shook hands as Tiffany helped up Sam. The students climbed up the rest of the way to the top of the cliff, where Raphael had staggered upwards. Glynda Goodwitch stood nearby, tapping her scroll.

"Congratulations team CYRS for winning the final round," the professor congratulated. "That victory put you at first place, with seven flag captures. Closely followed by OWTR with six points, then ENVY with four, and finally KONJ with three captures." By now team KONJ had arrived, and were congratulating the winning team. ENVY had arrived as well, but were far less courteous on their loss. The team was already trudging back towards Beacon.

"That concludes todays capture the flag match. I suggest you all rest up, you have class early tomorrow." Goodwitch turned and began walking back towards. The students began to follow the professor before Carter remembered something.

"Yuan!" he exclaimed, spinning around and running back to the cliff. He looked down to see the mage hanging upside down from a few of the vines below.

"Hey guys," Yuan waved. "Did we win?"

"Yeah, just barely though," Carter replied as he jumped down onto a ledge beside him.

"Things were looking pretty 'Grimm', am I right?" the leader raised an eyebrow as the other students above groaned.

"You already made that joke!" Raphael called.

"Yeah, but it was still great!" Yuan raised his hand for a high five, but Carter simply continued to look at him with raised eyebrows. "Hey c'mon, don't leave me hanging!" The leader sighed and began to cut away at the plants. "Oh, I know!" Yuan pulled out his cracked scroll and waved it in front of him. "Do it for the vine!"

There was a snap from above as Yuan suddenly fell onto the stairs below, the vines holding him having been cut. The boy fell flat on his face and tumbled for a bit before stopping. Carter looked up to see Sam putting away her weapon.

"Oops, sorry" she called sarcastically, not sounding very sorry at all.

"Owww," Yuan groaned as Carter helped him up.

"C'mon," Carter said as he supported the mage up the stairs. "Let's go. KONJ Is throwing a party tonight, they'll be a feast and everything."

"Yay..." the blonde boy replied dazedly, joining the rest of the battered students in the trek back to Beacon.

* * *

_Whew, what a first chapter! thank you all for reading, its been a nice break but I'm ready to get back into writing this story. as stated in my note at the top, I've had this story's plot planned our for awhile, so even though it never showed in the first volume, Emmett's lance has always doubled as a minigun (what I'm trying to say is that I did not copy Coco's weapon). also, just to clear up any confusion, Yuan's weapon alteration happened inside the story as canon, unlike the alterations I made to the others. it will be explained in later chapters in more detail._

_Thanks for reading, and happy New Year!_


	21. Chapter 16: Afterparty

_Alright, so there was one more thing that I forgot to mention in the first chapter, and that is my new updating schedule (really really sorry about that). For those of you who are new to my story (and a reminder for others, but its really not needed as I state it a few times in the beginning) my schedule is one chapter every week posted on a Wednesday. however now, so that I can have time to give you guys more quality writing, the time between chapters may range between one to three weeks, however they still will always be on a Wednesday. I say this as I post this chapter on a Thursday, and I have a very legitimate excuse that I wont go into detail with, so lets just say long story short I went on a all day school field trip yesterday and never had time to finish the chapter. but hey, you don't want to hear all that, so without further ado, here's chapter 16!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"-and then, just as the Beowolves charged, a massive wall of fire erupted before them! Made by yours truly, I might add," Yuan bragged.

"Whoa! And then what happened?!" Opal beamed.

"Well, I pulled off a few more awe inspiring moves and combos and picked off the last of the pack. Then me and the rest of my team made a beeline for the cliff, outrunning any other students for miles!"

"That's not how I remember it," Tiffany interjected. "You might have taken out one or two Beowolves, but me and Will showed up not long after. If I remember correctly, you could barely keep the two of us off you."

"Really?!" Opal gasped, turning back to Yuan.

"I... Uh..." The boy stammered. "Alright, I may have over exaggerated a bit, but I was still awesome at the end of the battle, what with my amazing elemental shockwave attack!"

"But weren't you the last one up the cliff, because you got caught in a bunch of vines?" Opal asked.

"And what do you mean _your_ attack?" Carter questioned. "It was my idea. But it was the only time we actually pulled it off..."

"Hey, Sam's the one always messing up on the cue! Plus, she was the reason I fell down the cliff anyways! My face still hurts from that too..."

"What did you say about me?" Sam called from across the first year lounge. She, Oliver, and Rowan were sitting at the dining table nearby the kitchen area of the lounge. Kyla was currently cooking tirelessly on the dinner for the party celebrating CYRS's win. William sat nearby, writing as equally vigorously on his latest work. Raphael and Norem were watching the television in the corner, which was currently displaying a news broadcast. Chad was nowhere to be seen, and so was team ENVY, who Opal had insisted on inviting but whom never showed.

"Uh, nothing!" Yuan called back nervously.

"That's what I thought," his partner replied, turning back to her conversation.

"Oh oh, I know! What did you do during that big team versus team versus team section of the game?" Opal asked enthusiastically.

"Well, not to brag, but I basically defeated like all of OWTR when no one was looking-"

"You know what? I'm gonna go see what Sam and Rowan are talking about," Tiffany broke in, walking away from the conversation to sit besides Sam at the dining table.

"Yeah, I'm... gonna go check on how dinner's coming," Carter added, turning away as well.

"Alright, but you're missing out on the best part!" Yuan warned.

"I still want to hear it!" Opal exclaimed. Carter walked over to the counter separating the kitchen from the rest of the lounge and took a seat on a stool near William. The writer barely noticed the boy as he continued his work. Kyla glanced at Carter from where she was working at the stove.

"How's dinner coming?" he asked.

"It's coming along nicely, I've nearly finished," Kyla replied.

"Need any help?"

"Thanks, that's sweet of you, but I've got it. It should be ready in a couple of minutes."

"Alright, sounds good."

Raphael had left the television to join his partner, having taken a seat between Carter and William. The Faunus and the writer were talking about a subject that had come up quite a few times in the last few weeks.

"And you're sure you've checked multiple times?" Raphael questioned.

"My dear Faunus friend, I have checked numerous times, and all have come up with nothing," William stated.

"You're not asking him about that again, are you?" Carter asked.

"They've got similar semblances, they've got to be connected somehow," the Faunus insisted.

"Who's got similar semblances?" Kyla asked, turning away from the food for a minute as it simmered.

"One of the White Fang admins we fought at the facility. I think her name was Andrea," Carter explained.

"Oh right, I remember you mentioning something about her. She could control Grimm, right?"

"Yes, just like Will," Raphael pointed out. "Meaning they could be related."

"Is that what you were asking about?"

"Yes," William answered. "And as I've said, I've checked a multitude of times. No one in my family has ever exhibited a semblance such as mine. Additionally, I've no Faunus heritage in any of my bloodline, and thus there is no way I could be related to this woman."

"But the semblances are almost exactly the same, there's got to be some connection," Raphael insisted.

"Well, are you sure they're the same?" Kyla chimed in. "Maybe there was a difference you never noticed?"

"Hmm, that is true," the writer agreed. "If I might ask, when the woman took control of the Grimm, did its eyes glaze over?"

"I'm not sure, I never got a good look," Carter replied. "Raph?"

"They did, but, not completely," the Faunus recalled. "The eyes still had red coloring, so they looked sort of pink."

"Doesn't you're semblance make Grimm's eyes completely glass over?" Kyla asked.

"Precisely," William responded. "Another question, if I may. When she was using the ability, what motions did she use to control the Grimm?"

"Not much," Raphael replied. "Other than the occasional hand gesture, the King Taijitu moved and attacked by its own accord."

"Aha! Another difference. When using my semblance, I require numerous commanding motions in order to manipulate the creatures if Grimm, quite different from your description. By that fact it is clear our abilities have no connection."

"Not necessarily," Carter commented. "Not to say that I think you're connected, but that fact shouldn't be considered the most reliable. Semblances have been known to grow and strengthen over time, and for all we know Andrea's semblance might have once needed a lot of motion but strengthened over time, eventually requiring almost none. Who's to say you won't be able to control Grimm with more ease sometime in the future like her? However, I think that with the small differences, Will's research into his family, and the fact that although rare, it is not unheard off for two people to have the same semblance, we can assume they're not related."

"You've got me convinced," Kyla said, turning back to her cooking but still listing in.

"Alright, I suppose you're right," Raphael sighed. "Sorry for bugging you Will."

"That's quite alright, I can understand the need to find answers," William replied. "Although I wish I could be of more help. In fact, I might be able to."

"What do you mean?" Carter asked.

"I've found that while using my semblance, a strong blow to the head of the Grimm is usually enough to break the connection, if only for a time. An even more effective move would be to break the concentration of the actual controller, distracting or disabling them. Should you ever encounter this woman again, those two strategies may be beneficial to use. However, as you said her abilities sound like they far surpass mine, so I'm unsure of how effective they will be."

"Thanks, hopefully we won't ever have to use them though."

"Dinner's ready!" Kyla called. Immediately all the other students that weren't at the table scrambled to get a seat, eager for the master cooks latest meal. Drinks had already been set on the table, along with utensils and plates. As Kyla picked up a steaming pot from the stove Carter looked towards the group, noticing a missing person.

"Where's Chad?" he asked as he walked with Kyla to the table.

"Probably still cleaning up," the girl replied. "He usually takes longer, plus he doesn't shower when you guys normally do, but I don't question it. I guess some people just like their privacy." Carter nodded in understanding as he took a seat between Yuan and Raphael.

"Alright, what're we having?" Yuan asked, gazing eagerly at the steaming pot the cook set before them.

"I made a CYRS favorite; beef stew cooked with a hint more spices," Kyla announced as she unveiled the dish, which was received with whoops and cheers from the members of CYRS. "And, of course, let's not forget the other dishes," the cook raised her hand as she activated her semblance, and nearly a half a dozen other metal dishes and trays floated over to rest on the table. "Salad for Tiffany, Rowan, and Norem, lasagna for Oliver and Chad, fish for me and Will, a sandwich for Opal, and mashed potatoes for anyone who wants a side!" The other students expressed their gratitude exuberantly as they stacked their plates.

"You made this much? I'm impressed!"

"Excellent cooking, as usual."

"I love you Kyla," Yuan beamed as he shoveled food onto his plate. Kyla turned a bit pink at the last remark, but continued to eat as if she hadn't noticed. The door to the room opened suddenly as Chad walked in, hair still damp from showing.

"Sweet, dinner's ready!" the dancer cheered, bounding over to the table and sitting besides Norem. "Thanks Kyla!" As the teams gorged themselves, Oliver stood up from his seat holding his glass aloft.

"Alright mates, now that everyone's here I'd like to make a toast to congratulate today's capture the flag winners." The other students raised their glasses as well before taking drinks, granted most of them were juices or sodas. "Though I'll warn you, next time we're winning the match," OWTR's leader warned.

"Ha, I'd like to see you try," Sam replied.

"Yeah, I see a long reign as champions ahead of us," Yuan gloated.

"But we look forwards to the challenge," Carter affirmed. Eventually chatter died down as each student stuffed themselves with food. Before long the plates and trays were picked clean, and the three teams laid back in their chairs tiredly after finishing.

"That was absolutely delicious, like nothing I've ever tasted!" William sighed, patting his stomach.

"You say that every time Kyla cooks," Tiffany yawned. A loud belch echoed from the end of the table, and the entire group turned to look at Opal, who wore a rather sheepish grin.

"What?" the girl asked indignantly. "In some cultures it's a compliment!" Another burp sounded from Yuan in agreement.

"That's disgusting!" Sam scolded, wrinkling her nose.

"Hey, I'm just paying my compliments to the chef!" replied her partner. Many of the other students bellowed out belch's good naturally as well. Even Tiffany and Rowan each gave the compliment, laughing afterwards. All were silenced however when Opal belched once again, louder than anyone. The sound resonated throughout the room, rattling a few of the dishes.

A moment of silence encased the room before the three teams burst into roaring laughter. Yuan fell backwards off his seat, rolling around on the floor clutching his stomach. Even Sam chuckled a bit, albeit mostly at her partners fall.

As the laughter died down Kyla raised her hand and activated her semblance again, causing the empty dishes to float into the kitchen sink.

"You've gotten quite skilled at using polarity," Rowan remarked.

"Well, practice makes perfect I suppose," Kyla replied, waving her hand and causing a cluster of plates to stack themselves.

"I still think it would be excellent ability for use on the battlefield," Sam pointed out.

"I've tried to use it in battle, but to be honest, it just never works out for me. I've been using it to cook since the years I've had to put Opal to bed, and that's how it's always best worked for me." The cook finished moving the dishes and took a look at the clock mounted to the far wall. "Speaking of bed, I think it's time we all head to it. Professor Goodwitch was right when she said we have classes tomorrow."

A series of "Awwww's" echoed from around the table, almost as loud as the previous burping. Yet as much as they hated it, Kyla was right. The students slouched out of their chairs, drowsy from full stomachs and the late hour, not to mention from the exhausting match earlier in the day.

OWTR were the first to leave, thanking Kyla and congratulating CYRS once again. Kyla and the rest of KONJ insisted on staying in the lounge to finish cleaning, and so CYRS slump out of the lounge, waving their thanks before leaving for their dorm.

The team teetered, barely conscious, into their room. Sam curled up into a cocoon of blankets and sheets on her bed. Raphael didn't even bother to move his blankets, instead falling asleep on top of them. Yuan had to carefully move his weapon off his bed from where he had been working on it before he could crawl in and fall asleep. Carter was the last of the team to bed, having set the flag from the final game of the day next to Sam's trophies. As he crawled under the covers, the team leader smiled to himself as he saw his three teammates fast asleep, before finally dozing off himself.

* * *

_so, I've been wondering about something in relation to my top note. I feel like I'm constantly apologizing for late chapters, but I'm curious, does it bother any of you that I'm not always perfectly on schedule? I mean, most of my chapters have been posted at the right time, but quite a few haven't, and I'm wondering if its a big deal to you guys? if it is I'll definitely work harder on it, and its not like I'm going to slack off if it's not a big deal, but I want to hear what you guys have to say, because I am writing this story for you after all. leave a comment In the review if you want, I'm always open ears for what you guys want to say._

_Thanks for reading!_


	22. Chapter 17: Partners

_I'm not entirely sure what to say. Monty Oum was a hard working, creative, and wonderful individual. Even though I never met him in person, he is and always will be my greatest inspiration and role model. Monty was always working at his very best, constantly staying up late to do his work. One of his mottos was to "keep moving forwards", and that's something he never stopped doing. He never stopped doing what he loved, and even after finishing one project, he immediately went on to the next. H__e's created so many amazing things, but more importantly, things that will last. They will last because we, the fans of his work, will always remember Monty and his amazing works. we will keep moving forwards, keep being creative and keep being inspired by him. __So don't worry Monty, your work will not be forgotten. _

_Thank you Monty, we'll take it from here._

_as always, enjoy._

* * *

Chattering students packed the Beacon amphitheaters upper stands. All had their weapons, either at their sides or in hand. A few watched intently at the match about to begin below, while others simply glanced occasionally from their conversations. Many sparing matches had already been held and only a few remained, and many of the students were eager for the class's end.

Carter and Raphael stood facing each other at either ends of the arena with their weapons drawn. The Faunus scraped the blades of his bracers against each other, sharpening the edges. Carter twirled his broadswords in anticipation, his eyes never leaving his opponent.

Between them Glynda Goodwitch was tapping her Scroll. Before long two images appeared at the ends of the stage, each showing the aura level and face of the boy bellow them. With the images set, the professor stepped away from the arena.

The woman finally looked up from her device, eyes flicking between the two partners. "Begin!" she proclaimed, and the match began.

Instantly the boys launched at each other, blades meeting in the center of the arena. The sound of metal on metal rang throughout the amphitheater as the partners exchanged blows and parries.

They separated, both pairs of feet sliding along the ground from the force of pushing the other away. Barely a moment passed before they clashed again, blades ringing.

This battle was nothing like the first they had in Beacons training ground months before. Both had grown and learned from their time together in Beacon. Where Raphael would have only attacked recklessly, leaving himself without defense, he now fought with higher guard and caution. Carter had grown as well, though his was a smaller difference. His strategy had often been simply to let his opponent wear themselves out against his defenses, attacking only occasionally and leaving himself open to more powerful blow. However now he fought with both unyielding parries and vigorous attack equally.

The fact that they trained together constantly was also clearly apparent. They both knew each others attacks, movements, and strategies as well as their own, yet it only served to intensify the battle. The only time that either of them fought better was when it was together.

"Dang," whistled Yuan. "I'd like to see Nyte and Emmett try and fight those two again."

"They've certainly Improved," Sam agreed. "But they've still got a ways to go."

Her partner scoffed, "so could you."

"What was that?" she growled. "Who was it that lost miserably only a few matches ago?"

"Hey, I never said I couldn't do better either, only that we're all students here. You're not some high-and-mighty warrior above us all."

"Says the guy who lost in under a minute," Sam murmured.

"I wasn't ready! Plus Morning Star's still on the frizz!" he exclaimed as he gestured around him. His weapon lay on his lap, but the staff's head and hilt were partially deconstructed. Pieces of the weapon littered the seats beside him, and the boy held a pair of tools in his hand.

"Well that's not my fault, it was your decision to make an upgrade. Why would you tamper with your weapon in the middle of the year anyways?" Yuan's face flushed, and his gaze reverted back to his tools.

"I already told you, I never... I never had the money for it, okay. The weapon I used in the beginning of the year was only part of what I had originally designed. But since Beacon provides funds for weapon upgrades and management, I can finally finish it. If I could only work out the kinks!" he permeated the last sentence by banging on the weapon frustratedly with a tool. Immediately the blade of the staff surged with fire, and the boy yelped in surprise and quickly put out the flame.

Sam let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, just don't burn yourself to a crisp. And make sure to pay attention."

"I will, trust me. Who wouldn't want to miss this?"

Raphael jumped as a leg swept underneath him, flipping backwards to avoid the broadsword strike that followed. Landing on all fours, the Faunus rolled to the side as Carter slammed his weapons into the arena. Both swords stuck into the ground, held fast. Now it was Raphael's turn to sweep his leg under his opponent, tripping up Carter.

Before the boy could recover, the Faunus lunged at his partner. Carter rolled to the side as the blades sparked against the floor. Raphael attacked again, but Carter quickly caught his leg on the hilt of one of the embedded swords. With a tremendous tug, the blade was wrenched from the ground. The sword arced, blocking the Faunus's strike while still caught on the boy's foot. The blade didn't stick for long however, and separated from his hold and spiraled through the air. Carter rolled onto his feet and caught the weapon, facing his opponent.

Raphael appeared surprised at the maneuver but didn't pause long. Before his opponent could retrieve his second sword, the Faunus slashed out with a flurry of strikes. Carter parried each blow, firing off a few shots from his weapon to propel the blade. But with each passing moment, the boy appeared to slow with his strikes and blocks.

Sensing victory at hand, Raphael attacked with new vigor, slashing away at Carter's defenses. Activating his semblance, the Faunus appeared as nothing more than a blur as he fought. Carter was forced into using his own semblance, becoming ridged as the blows glanced off his body.

The screens at each end of the arena showed both of the students aura levels dropping as the stalemate continued. Raphael deactivated his semblance as both their aura levels dropped near red on the screen. He smirked as his partner did the same, however his smile faltered when Carter turn to face him with more energy then he had previously let on.

Realizing his opponents previous weariness had been only a ruse, Raphael growled and sprang forwards. Carter deflected the strike with the side of his blade, the broad width of the sword acting like a shield. He continued to stem of his partners continuous attacks without delivering his own. Raphael had nearly worn himself out from his previous barrage, and now only continued to falter against Carter's defense.

Finally, when the Faunus struck with a particularly weak slash, Carter attacked. He dealt a few quick jabs in succession to undermine Raphael's defense before delivering a strong overhand swing. Raphael crossed his bracers over his head and blocked the strike, the blade straining against him.

With a click, Carter pulled the trigger on the handle of his broadsword. The blade surged forwards from the shot fired off its grip, throwing Raphael back into the edge of the arena. Before the Faunus could recover Carter sprinted forwards, wrenching his second sword from the ground as he passed it. He linked the two weapons into the sword-staff and jumped into the air. Closing the distance between them instantly, Carter slammed back into the ground in front of his partner and swung the weapon around.

Raphael shook his head dazedly from being thrown back and blinked repeatedly. His breath stiffened as he found the tip of a blade against his throat. Looking up, the Faunus sighed as he saw Carter standing over him, a slight smile on his lips.

"And that's the match," Goodwitch concluded. "Congratulations Mr. Hemlock, and an excellent job by both of you." Carter stuck his sword-staff into the ground before holding out a hand to his partner. Raphael gratefully accepted it and hoisted himself onto his feet, stretching and rolling his shoulders.

"Where did that hooking-your-sword-with-your-foot move come from?" the Faunus asked.

"I've been working on it for awhile, though I haven't gotten a whole lot of success," admitted Carter. "Honestly, I was surprised as you were when it worked." The boy pulled his weapon from the ground and separated the broadswords, transforming them into pistols before storing them at his side.

"Well it wasn't half bad, but I think I've got a few tips that might make it easier," Raphael remarked as they walked up to the stands above. The two joined the other half of their team, who congratulated them both appraisingly, before taking their seats and turning back to the arena. Professor Goodwitch once again stepped into the center of the room and tapped on her scroll.

"Alright class, we have time fore a few more matches," she stated. "Who would like to go next?"

A hand shot up from where team OWTR was sitting as Tiffany's voice rang out; "I'd like to go next, if that's alright."

"Ah yes, Ms. Blue. You and your partner have yet to have a sparring match yet together, correct?" the professor asked. Receiving a nod from the armored girl, Goodwitch tapped her scroll a few times as she observed it. "Very well. William, are you willing to participate?"

"But of course, it would be an honor to dual my darling partner," the writer replied, standing up alongside his partner. The two began their way down to the arena below, and as they passed Carter saw a small smirk across Tiffany's face. The rest of OWTR also stood, but only to take seats beside CYRS.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Oliver fretted.

"Why? It's just a sparing match," stated Yuan, not looking up from working on his weapon.

"Because, I'm pretty sure that Tiffany's gonna kill William, or at the very least seriously maim him. I mean, did you see her expression mate?"

"I wouldn't blame her," Sam chirped in. "What with all he's done, he could do with a bit of thrashing. Might finally pound in that she's not interested."

"Well that's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Yuan asked, raising his head.

"How do you think Tiffany feels?" Commented Rowan. "A lot of us have tried to talk to Will, but he always fails to get the point. His behavior's got to stop."

"I, uh, well... Carter!" the blonde boy exclaimed. "Back me up here!" CYRS's leader thought for a moment before replying.

"I gotta agree with Sam and Rowan," he replied. "I'd never advocate violence as a solution, but it's true that Will's been kind of harassing Tiffany since our first day here. He might not understand that what he's doing is wrong, but that shouldn't be an excuse. They definitely need to work out their differences and find even ground. But whatever happens, I just hope they both get out unscathed. Both physically and emotionally." The conversation ended as an image appeared at either end of the arena, each showing the aura of the student bellow them.

Tiffany swung her axe around impatiently as her partner inspected his own weapon for marks or scratches. Glynda Goodwitch stepped off the arena as she finished with her scroll.

"Well my dear, as this is our first spar against one another, I suggest that perhaps we avoid using all of our strength," William remarked, still observing his halberd. "After all, we wouldn't want either of us suffering serious injury, am I correct?" A moment of silence passed, the writer receiving no response. "Darling?" the boy looked up and jumped at the expression of his partner. The glare on Tiffany's face was enough to put even Raphael on edge, and it was directed strait at William.

"Begin!" Goodwitch exclaimed, initiating the match.

"Darling?" William croaked again before his partner charged. Tiffany closed the gap between them almost immediately and swung her weapon down at the boy. The writer yelped as he dodged to the side, the double-edged axe passing inches away from him before smashing into the ground. He franticly looked behind him to see Tiffany wrench her weapon out of the ground, uprooting bits of the flooring. She turned to face him, teeth bared and glaring.

"Wow, she's certainly got a lot of pent up emotion," Carter remarked. "I've never seen her so upset."

"Trust me, she's enjoying every minute," disagreed Sam.

William yelped as he rolled to avoid another axe swing. By now his weapon was long gone, knocked away to another part of the arena. The only thing the boy was worried about however was not getting hit by the massive axe. The floor of the arena was riddled with deep gouges from Tiffany's attacks, yet she continued to storm after her opponent.

As the boy stumbled backwards to avoid another swing, his foot caught on one of the gouges, tripping him. Wide-eyed, he scrambled away until he backed into a large chunk of rubble. Tiffany raised her axe high above her head, glaring down at her partner, before bringing it crashing down onto him. The crowd gasped, many squinting to see through the small dust cloud that had sprung from the impact.

William blinked and coughed as the dust cleared. Franticly, he felt around him and sighed happily as he felt his head still attached to his shoulders. He froze however when he saw the curved notch where the axe blade met the handle over his neck. If the chop had been made just three inches down, he may not have been able to claim that his head was still attached.

Suddenly the axe was lifted back up, dragging the boy along with it by the neck. His eyes met Tiffany's as she pulled him up directly in front of her, faces inches apart. She continued to glare at the boy, but she seemed to have calmed down, if only slightly. "Uh, hello dear," he greeted nervously. She made a noise somewhere between a huff and a growl and swung the axe around again. William was dragged along, and before he could regain his footing, she heaved the axe with all her might. The writer yelled out in panic as he was thrown into the air, out of the arena, and into the stands beside the rest of their team.

Oliver, Carter, and Rowan jumped out of the way as William slammed into the row of seats. Upon impact many if the metal seats crumpled, leaving a small crater where he landed.

"Oww, my... that was... quite the throw..." William groaned as he staggered to a crawl. "Ah, it seems... that I've misplaced my-" his halberd whistled through the air and pierced into the stands like a spear, inches from his head. William yelled in panic again, flinging himself backwards into the dented seats.

"Nice throw!" Sam called, which Tiffany responded to with a thumbs up.

"Well," Goodwitch began. "I suppose that's the match. Ms. Blue, you may return to your seat. And I'll have to ask that you please refrain from causing any more damage to the amphitheater in future matches." With a flick of her dust crop, the mangled arena floor reassembled itself, and the dented stands bent back into place.

"Can do professor," the girl replied, striding back to her seat with a slight skip to her step. "Damn that felt good," she beamed as she took a seat besides Sam.

"Uh, mates," Oliver started. "I think Will might have fainted." The other students all leaned to see the writer lying face down on the repaired stands, his halberd still embedded into the metal next to him.

"Eh, he'll be fine," Tiffany replied, leaning back in her seat. "I only brought his aura down to half anyways." Before Oliver could reply, Goodwitch once again stepped into the center of the arena.

"Now, who would like to go next?" the professor asked.

"We would!" Chad called from where team KONJ where sitting. He and Norem stood up after Goodwitch admitted them, striding down to the arena. Kyla and Opal suddenly joined CYRS and OWTR, the latter dragging her leader by the arm.

"Hey, wha- Opal! What are you doing?!" Kyla stammered.

"Everyone's meeting up over here, and I wanted to join!" the girl replied as she plopped down besides Oliver. "That way we can all watch Norem and Chad fight together!"

Kyla sighed as she took a seat besides her sister. "Alright, I suppose your right. Just try to not distract everyone else. Why don't you keep track of Chad and Norem's aura levels on your scroll?"

"I'm on it!" Opal replied, saluting before busily tapping her scroll.

"Hey Kyla," Carter greeted with a wave. The rest of the students greeted the new arrivals as well. William remained unconscious.

"Begin!" Goodwitch's voice suddenly rang out, catching the students's attention as the match began. The two boy's aura levels had already been displayed at either end of the arena.

Chad sprinted across the arena, metal boots clicking against the floor as he ran. Norem quickly drew his bow and fired a round of arrows at his partner. The dancer skidded to a stop, flinging up a few sparks. Chad jumped and kicked the projectiles, the arrows shattering against his armored shins. As he landed the dancer kicked in the direction of his opponent, firing off a few shots at the archer.

Norem transformed his weapon into its staff form and spun it in front of him. The shots deflected harmlessly off the defense. But before Norem could launch a counter attack, Chad flipped over him and slammed back into the ground behind him. The dancer's feet were blurs as he kicked out at his partner, yet each strike was skillfully blocked by his opponents staff.

Chad began firing off gunshots with each kick of his boot, forcing Norem backwards. The dancer feinted a high kick before arching his leg under the staff. Norem was knocked backwards from the blow, however quickly recovered mid air and landed back on his feet. Again the archer let lose a group of arrows at his opponent. Chad flipped back repeatedly, deflecting the arrows off his boots or otherwise dodging the rest.

As he landed, the dancer prepared to launch another attack but paused. Norem was nowhere to be seen. Chad took a defensive stance as he searched around him, both with his eyes and ears, waiting for the invisible archer to show himself.

A twang and a faint whistling from his right alerted him and he a dodged to the side, just as an invisible arrow passed inches from his face. More twangs sounded from his left, and Chad rolled under the projectiles before kicking out in the air in front of him. Multiple shots rang out from his boots, but the bullets met only the wall of the arena.

"Looks like they've been practicing as much as you two," Sam remarked to Carter and Raphael. "I doubt anyone would be able to combat Norem while he's using his semblance as well as Chad."

"Agreed," CYRS's leader replied. Raphael simply nodded and continued to watch the match intently. Suddenly there was a loud bang, and a billow of smoke enveloped the Faunus from Yuan's staff.

"Oops, sorry," Yuan laughed nervously as the smoke cleared, revealing Raphael's scowling and blackened face. "Still got a few kinks to work out..." The Faunus growled and cleaned his face, turning back to the fight.

Chad preformed a series of complex combinations of both dance moves and combat moves as he avoided more invisible projectiles. Flipping onto his hands, the dancer spun around, rapidly firing of shots from his boots. The gunshots rang out across the entire arena, and finally Norem was forced to reveal himself as a few shots brushed past him, diminishing his semblance.

"Haha! C'mon dude, is that all you've got?" Chad mused as he landed on his feet.

"Not even close," Norem smirked as he drew three arrows from his quiver, stringing them all at once. As soon as the arrows fired, almost instantly the archer had another group ready to shoot. The hail of arrows volleyed towards Chad, who flipped, ducked, blocked, and rolled to avoid them.

The archer ran around the arena whilst still firing shots, both to retrieve old arrows and to try and get an angle on his opponent. Chad was outright laughing by now, a grin across his face as he danced and fought. As the last arrow deflected of his boot, Chad once again faced his opponent, bouncing from foot to foot and rearing to go.

Norem retrieved another arrow stuck in the ground and quickly strung it, turning to his partner. He aimed, then suddenly froze, a look of shock on his face. Many of the students in the stands gasped along with him, much to the confusion of Chad.

"What?" he asked. "Did I miss a beat?"

"Ch-Chad," Norem stammered. "Your leg..."

"My wha-?" Chad froze as he looked down at his legs. A single black arrow was protruding halfway down his thigh, embedded into his leg. "Oh."

"I am so sorry, I didn't- I mean I- I'm so sorry," his partner was quavering, quickly running up to the dancer.

"Mr. Jetfire, are you alright?" Goodwitch asked worryingly, hurrying up to him as well. The images depicting the fighters's aura levels disappeared from above the stage.

"No, I'm fine, really," Chad assured, backing away from them. He staggered as he put weight on the damaged leg.

"Chad, stand still so I can remove the arrow. Otherwise you could have far more permanent damage," the professor warned, lifting her crop in preparation to use her semblance.

"What? No no, that's alright. I... I'd rather go to the infirmary, yeah. I'll just hurry over there right now." He tried to take another step and nearly fell again.

"Alright, fine. But you're not going alone. Norem, take your partner to the Beacon infirmity immediately, I will alert them that you're on the was momentarily."

"No no, really, I can-"

"This is not a matter of negotiation Mr. Jetfire. You have an arrow in your leg and require immediate medical attention. Go. Now!" Norem swung chad's arm over his shoulder and supported him out of the amphitheater, apologizing all the way. "Ms. Greene, I suggest you accompany them as KONJ's leader," the professor continued, looking over to the rest of the team.

Kyla had already stored her weapon away and was dragging Opal behind her. "Yes professor, already on it!"

"Wait, sis, look at this!" Opal was saying, motioning to her scroll which she had been curiously looking at for the past minute.

"Not now Opal," replied Kyla as they left the amphitheater.

Glynda looked back at the stands as CYRS and OWTR made to follow the pair. "The rest of you, please take your seats. We still have a short time left in this class, and you may visit the infirmary afterwards." The students sat back in their seats glumly, looking worriedly at the amphitheater exit.

* * *

"Opal, come on!" Kyla proclaimed, still dragging her sister. "We've got to catch up to Norem and Chad!"

"But sis, I think you've really got to see this!" Opal insisted. The two rounded a building and nearly ran over Norem, who was pushing himself off the ground, alone.

"Norem? Where's Chad?" Kyla asked franticly.

"I think he panicked and ran off. He caught me off guard and accidentally knocked me down," the boy replied, looking around. "I have no idea how he did it with that injury though."

"Sis," Opal began. "I-"

"Not now Opal," the leader interjected. "Why would he run away? He- wait..." Kyla paused as she saw the small object in Norem's hand. "Is that...?"

"Yes," the archer replied, holding up the arrow that had just been in his partners leg. The head of the arrow had snapped off, but the projectile had gone far deeper than that. Yet the arrow was completely spotless, it's black coloring undiminished.

"How is that possible? It should be-"

"I know. I can't figure it out either."

"Guys!" Opal exclaimed. "Look!" and she shoved her scroll in their faces.

"Yes Opal, it's their aura. Why did you want-"

"Because! Look at Chad's aura. It's almost all there!"

"It's almost- what?!" Kyla did a double take on the scroll and snatched it from her sister, staring at it. Both Chad and Norem had lost a bit of aura in their fight but-

"He didn't lose any after that. The arrow didn't do any damage to him at all!"

* * *

_life is short. Don't be afraid to try new things, or express who you truly are. Go out and do something creative. Live. The only thing that stands in our way is time. And above all, remember Monty Oum, morn his death, celebrate his life, and keep moving forwards._

_Thanks for reading_


	23. Chapter 18: Trust and Forgiveness

_so I never got to mention this in last chapters note, but thank you to everyone who replied back regarding my previous question. it means a lot, and ill use that advice to keep making my writing, planning, and posting strategy better._

_but anyways, back the drama, the suspense, and the comedy!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"B-but, how is that possible?" Kyla stammered, still holding the scroll and staring at it disbelievingly.

"It's even stranger that the arrow was even able to hit him at all," Norem commented, puzzled. "If those levels are correct, then my arrow should've been unable to pierce his aura."

"I know! That's what I've been trying to tell you guys!" piped Opal.

"What do we do now?" the archer asked, turning to Kyla. Opal turned to the team leader as well, worry across her face.

"We find him," Kyla replied, handing back Opal her scroll before bringing out her own. "I can track his scroll, hopefully he hasn't gotten far..." she tapped the device a few times, bringing up an application that showed the location of her entire team across a large map.

"Oh, there he is!" Opal exclaimed after scanning the map, pointing to a red dot on the screen. "Let's go!" and without waiting for the others, hurried off towards her teammate's location. Norem and Kyla exchanged glances before following close behind.

"I can't believe he's managed to get this far," the team leader marveled, examining the map as she ran.

"Where's he headed? The air platforms?" Norem asked.

"No, it says here he's headed to the... mechanics department?" They looked towards each other in confusion before quickening their pace.

* * *

The Beacon mechanics department consisted of a few buildings situated towards the farther edges of the campus. The place was abuzz with the noise of machinery and of work, and the scent of oil and gunpowder clung to the air.

The three members of KONJ sprinted through the center of the buildings, looking around franticly for their teammate. Kyla stopped and looked back down at her scroll.

"Is he here?" Norem asked, glancing around at the different workshops and warehouses.

"Yes, but the maps not detailed enough to show me which building he's in," the team leader replied. "He could be in any one of them."

"Alright, let's search every single one then!" Opal exclaimed, beginning to march of towards the nearest building before being stopped by Kyla.

"Before we do that, let's ask around and see if anyone's seen Chad." The team leader scanned around them before stopping at a man working outside one of the workshops. "Uh, excuse me," she began, walking over. "Have any beacon students come through here recently?"

The man looked up from where he was piecing together a mechanical device and regarded the girl. "Sure. We get plenty of students who come here for repairs. You looking for someone in particular?"

"Yes, we're looking for one of our teammates," Norem explained. "He's got blue hair and a bit of a tan."

"And lots of different colored clothes, with metal boots that can shot bullets!" Opal added.

"Oh yeah, he just came through here. His name was... uh... oh right, Chad! that was it!" remembered the man.

"Wait, you know him?" Kyla asked incredulously.

"Yeah, he comes here pretty regularly. Keeps to himself mostly, doesn't usually ask for much. I know he doesn't steal anything though, I've checked. Must be those boots of his need special care or something."

"Did you see where he went?" Norem asked.

"He went into that old warehouse over there," the man answered, motioning to a large building across the path. "It's where he usually goes, but I can't find any trace of work being done there. Strange is what it is."

"Thank you!" Kyla called as she led her team over to the warehouse. The man grunted in response before returning to his work.

* * *

Darkness weighted down on them inside the massive structure. Grubby yellow windows dimmed the sunlight filtering in, the rest of the darkness broken only by a few flickering low-hanging old lights. Huge grated shelves reached up to the ceiling, their tops hidden by darkness. Variously sized and shaped boxes filled the shelves, a thin layer of dust coating most of them.

"Chaaaaad!" Opal called out, her voice echoing into the shadowy hallways between the storage racks. Seconds ticked by, no response returning.

"If any of his past actions are something to go by, then something tells me Chad doesn't want to be found," Norem noted gravely.

"Agreed," the team leader replied. "Norem, watch the entrance. And you better activate your semblance, you might be able to catch him by surprise if he tries to make a run for it." The boy only nodded before seeming to melt into the shadows, disappearing completely.

Kyla shivered at the sight. She was used to her teammates unique ability, however when the boy turned invisible in near utter darkness, it unnerved her. Then a hand grasped hers, and she turned to see Opal smiling comfortingly at her. Relaxing, Kyla turned back towards the countless shelves, and the pair began their way into the darkness.

* * *

The door to OWTR's dorm swung open, Tiffany striding ahead of her team. Rowan followed shortly after, continually glancing at the girl in front and the group behind. Oliver, Carter, and Yuan entered last, grouped together to support the still barely conscious William. The only sounds the writer made in his unconsciousness were occasional incoherent mumbles.

"Aaand there you go," Oliver said, slinging his teammate onto his bed. "Thanks for you help mates."

"No problem," Carter replied. "If you need anything else, just-" a grinding noise echoed from across the room, and they turned to see Tiffany with her back to them. Across her lap sat her axe, which she was sharpening with a whetstone. "Yeah... we're gonna go. Call if you need, but, uh, we can't promise anything." He and Yuan quickly left the room, the door closing behind them with a snap.

Oliver sighed, moving to sit on his own bed. Rowan had taken a seat nearby at one of the desks, and was silently reading a small book. The only motion she made was the occasional twitch of her fox ears in annoyance at the continuous grinding noise. Tiffany hadn't moved from her spot, her back ridged as she continued to sharpen her weapon. William had still not yet regained consciousness, remaining in the same position the others had dumped him in.

OWTR's leader sighed once again and pulled put his weapons. He was about to begin his own work on them when a groan sounded and movement caught the corner of his eye. Oliver tensed as William sat up, not because of the writers awakening, but because the grinding sound had suddenly ceased.

"Dearest me," William groaned. "What on earth happened? I can remember only bits and pieces of... a match, perhaps? Was I knocked unconscious?" He looked towards the team leader in confusion.

"Uh, sort of..." Oliver replied cautiously, eyes flickering to Tiffany multiple times. Rowan had tensed up as much as he had, her ears standing on end. His eyes widened as the warrior stood, turning slowly before marching over to the rest of her team.

"Ah," William began. "Hello my dea-..." his voice suddenly fell as his face paled. It seemed as if his memory had returned mid sentence.

"Will and I need to have a talk. Alone," Tiffany stated dryly. By the time Oliver had scrambled to the door, Rowan had already flung it open and leaped into the hall. Slamming the door behind them, the pair stood in the hall outside their dorm wearily.

"How bad do you think it's going to be?" Oliver asked.

"Bad enough that we won't have to put our ears to the door to hear, I'm guessing," the Faunus replied. Sure enough, not a second later, Tiffany's voice rang out as she began shouting at the top of her lungs. She expressed in vivid detail what had been like to be in a partnership with William since initiation, using a rather colorful vocabulary throughout. For nearly fifteen minutes strait she shouted, vented, and cursed at her partner, all the while not another sound came from the room.

Finally, when Oliver began to worry that the girl might lose her voice, the shouting died down. Cautiously, the leader and the Faunus cracked open the door an peeked inside their dorm. Tiffany was breathing heavily, glaring down at her partner. William, on the other hand, appeared almost shocked, a bit fearful, and surprisingly, sorry. For a minute neat her stated anything as they looked at one another, before the writer bowed his head.

"I... I am sorry," he quavered. Tiffany blinked, taken aback by the apology. "I had no idea my actions had caused you such pain. I was blinded against both you're and our friend's requests to cease my actions. Can you forgive me?"

There was a pause before the girl replied, before she stated; "I'm not going to forgive you just because you made a simple apology."

"That... is understandable. But, how else may I make it up to you? A poem perhaps, or a song? I'm rather skilled at playing the-"

"You can start," she interrupted. "By not calling me 'dear', 'dearest', or anything else like that. I am not some fangirl of your books to be wooed. I am your partner, not as in a romantic way, but as a teammate, and should be treated as one. If you can pull that off, then I might, _might_, just consider forgiving you. Agreed?"

"Agreed, yes, of course my dea- I mean, of course, Tiffany." The girl nodded before turning her head.

"You two can come out now," she proclaimed, "and stop you're hiding." Oliver and Rowan tripped over each other in reaction of being caught. The two entered the room, at which William began apologizing profusely to them as well.

"Listen, mate," Oliver began, stopping his teammate. "You don't have to apologize to us."

"Just do what Tiffany said, and we'll be alright," Rowan added. William's eyes brimmed with gratitude, and he hugged them both.

"I promise, I shall do my best to be the most respectable teammate I can be, and that i will do my best to make up to all of you!" he blurted.

"Uh, wow, thanks mate... that means a lot," Oliver replied, patting his teammate on the back. Rowan appeared annoyed at first, but sighed and gave a pat as well. Tiffany had returned to her previous seat, continuing to sharpen her weapon, but without making as much noise as before.

After releasing them, William asked; "I must ask, did I miss anything while unconscious? I couldn't have been out for too long."

"That's right!" Oliver exclaimed, suddenly remembering. "I almost for got about Chad! I hope he's alright and made it to the infirmity."

* * *

"Sis," Opal began, "is Chad in trouble?" They had been searching for a few minutes through the darkness, however had found nothing. It had eventually become so dark that Kyla had been forced to un-hook one of the old lamps and have it float along with them above their heads with her semblance in order to see. The lamp was powered with dust, and thus needed no cords or wires to function, making it an excellent lantern.

"What do you mean?" Kyla asked, turning towards her sister.

"I mean, he ran away, and now we're chasing him. You had Norem guard the door because you thought Chad might try and run away again. Did he do something wrong?"

"No, at least I don't think so. We're just worried about him, and want to make sure he's okay. He got that horrible injury, so we've got to try and help him, right?"

"Yeah, but I just don't know why he would run away."

"Me neither," the older sister sighed. "That's what we're trying to find out." They walked in silence for a few more minutes, continually checking the shelves around them. As the neared yet another end to a long row of shelves, a gunshot rang out from the darkness.

The sisters looked at each other before sprinting towards where the shot had come from. The sound had echoed from the farthest corner of the building, were dust coated even the floors. But as they ran, Kyla saw a thin path through the dust, made by the continuous passage of someone with a pair of familiar metal boots.

As they came to the nearly abandoned corner of the warehouse, they saw a light shining from above. Squinting through the darkness, Kyla saw what appeared to be a metal platform towards the ceiling of the building. Light spilled from the top of the platform, however anything on the structure was hidden from view.

"Chad?" Opal called again. There was a gasp and the sound of scrambling, and suddenly the light flickered off, bathing them once again in near darkness.

"Chad, is that you?" Kyla called. "We just want to talk and make sure you're alright." No response came, silence enveloping the warehouse. "Alright, I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice!" The girl raised her hand, and the platform began to glow as she activated her semblance. Bolts holding the structure popped out of place, and slowly the platform began to descend towards them.

"No wait, stop!" a voice cried out, surprising Kyla. The platform dropped, crashing to the floor and spilling its contents. Tools and mechanical parts scattered along the floor, crates toppled over, and at the center of the platform sat Chad, holding one of his legs in his hands, severed from his body.

Kyla gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Wait, I can explain!" Chad proclaimed fearfully.

Suddenly Norem sprinted from the darkness, bow in hand. "I heard a gunshot, and then a crash! Did something-" the archer gasped as well as he caught sight of his partner. "Chad, you... but..."

"Why... How can..." stammered Kyla as well.

"I can explain, really," Chad quavered. "It's, well, I-"

"Cool!" Opal exclaimed. In the midst of the chaos, she had clambered over the debris and was standing next to Chad, gazing at the leg. "It's all... roboty. Come check this out sis!" The girl took the leg from her teammate, who was so shocked at her sudden outburst that he barely resisted, and held it up.

Kyla nearly gasped again, however as the light caught the appendage, she could only stare in disbelief.

The leg was prosthetic. Complex metalwork and machinery made up the appendage, while plates of metal covered the shin and thighs. The foot was the only part Kyla could recognize, for it was what she had previously thought was a mechanical boot.

Kyla then turned to look at Chad, who appeared almost fearful. The boy's usual baggy pants had been replaced by shorts, and she could see that his other leg was prosthetic as well. Dozens of questions surged insider her head, however the only thing she could sputter out was; "How?"

Chad sighed, taking his leg back from Opal. "When I was conceived, my parents were overjoyed. They had always wanted the perfect child. But when I was born, instead of their perfect baby, they got me. A legless kid. I didn't fit their 'standards' I guess, so they abandoned me, left me on the front steps of an old broken down orphanage on the outskirts of some city I don't even know the name of. I grew up alone, moving from place to place, family to family, home to home, each one rejecting me. Then, one day, I met someone. An old engineer with a prosthetic arm. He took me in, and helped me build my legs. He inspired me to help others from how he helped me, so after spending a few years learning under him, I went off on my own to do what he had done. It wasn't easy, people still treated me differently, so I decided to keep my disability a secret. But even then, it was difficult to find work, and I eventually ended up in Vale as a street performer. That was how I discovered my love of dancing and music. But I still couldn't help people the was that old engineer had helped me. That was when I learned about being a Hunter. I had always looked at Beacon from the city, but I had never dreamed I would make it as far as I did. And it's all thanks to that man."

"So then, you're boots..." Kyla began.

"They're just my feet," Chad said.

"That's why you never shower at the same time anyone else does," Norem realized. "And the thin leg armor you wear, it masks the metal underneath."

"That explains how the arrow was able to hit you too, aura doesn't cover prosthetic limbs," Kyla added. "But, why didn't you tell us? Why did you run away?"

"Because... because I didn't want the same thing that happened with my parents to happen with you guys."

"Chad we would never, _ever_, abandon you just because you have mechanical legs," the team leader affirmed.

"We're you're team, we won't ever abandon you," Norem agreed.

"Yeah, just cause your parents missed out on your awesome robot legs doesn't mean we have to!" Opal chimed in.

"Guys..." Chad croaked, tears brimming in his eyes. "You guys are the best team a guy could ask for man!" The team converged on the dancer, enveloping him an a team-group hug as more tears streamed down his face.

As the four students separated, Norem looked around at the collapsed platform and the inside of the warehouse. "So, this is where you went whenever you needed repairs?"

"Yeah, pretty sweet, right? No one ever comes back here, so I never had to worry about people finding out."

"Well, now you don't have to worry at all!" Opal exclaimed. "Now you can tell everyone about your awesome robot legs!"

"Uh, well, actually..." Chad stammered.

"You don't want anyone else to know, do you?" Kyla asked.

"I mean, I think maybe CYRS and OWTR, but, let's stick with that. I don't know if I'm ready for anyone else to know."

"Of course, that's your choice," the team leader nodded. "However, I think you can move your equipment to the dorm. We've got enough space, and that way you don't have to go far in order to have repairs." Chad grinned once again in gratitude.

"Hey, Chad?" Opal asked, looking down at the small stump next to the second prosthetic leg. "How much of your leg is mechanical?"

"It goes all the way up here," the boy replied, tapping a part of his upper thigh hidden by his shorts. "Speaking of which," the dancer fitted the leg in his hands into the unseen connector, and with a flinch and a pop, connected it into place. "Stings every time," he said and he stretched the mechanical leg a few times, the gears and parts moving to correspond with to his movements.

"Cooool," Opal gaped.

"So what was that gunshot we heard before?" Norem asked.

"Oh, haha, that was me. Accidentally set it off when I was trying to get this out," the dancer reached down onto the ground beside him and held up the black arrow head from before.

"Oh, right, sorry again about that," his partner apologized.

"Pfft, no sweat, it was an easy fix." Suddenly Kyla's scroll beeped in her pocket, and she pulled it out to check the time.

"It's getting pretty late guys," the leader stated, returning her scroll to her pocket. We should probably head back.

"Right, one sec," Chad stood and rummaged around him, pulling on his baggy pants and collecting a few choice tools into his arms. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

The sun had just begin to set as KONJ made their way back to the Beacon dorms. All along the way, Opal continuously asked Chad questions about his legs, Norem adding a inquiry to the mix occasionally as well. The dancer thankfully didn't seem to mind, and even seemed to welcome being able to speak with others about his secret.

"Hey sis, you coming?" Opal called to her sister, who had been lagging behind.

"Uh, yeah actually, I'll be right there. I just need to make a call," the team leader replied, making up her mind.

"Alright!" the younger sister called back turning back to Chad to continue her questions. Kyla pulled out her scroll once again and searched for a number that all team leaders had; the contact of Ozpin's scroll.

Kyla made the call, keeping the device close to her as to not let the others hear. It didn't take long for the headmaster to pick up, his voice echoing from the scroll.

"_Ah, hello miss Greene_," the headmaster greeted.

"Hello professor, sorry for bothering you," Kyla replied.

"_No, not at all, however I must remind you that this contact is for pressing emergencies only, something professor Goodwitch is rather adamant about. It has, however, come to my attention that you may be experiencing just that. Your teammate, Mr. Jetfire, suffered a serious injury in class today, correct?"_

"Uh, yes sir."

"_However, it says here that he never arrived at the infirmity as intended, were you aware of that?"_

Kyla considered her answer before replying. "Yes sir, I am aware of that."

"_I see. Am I safe to assume that you and the remaining members of your team contacted with Chad after the event of his injury?"_

"We're with him now, actually."

"_Excellent. And how is his injury? It was to his leg, if I am not mistaken_."

"Yes sir, it was. It's... alright now though."

"_I thought so, that is good to hear. But enough of that. Something tells me you did not call me In regards to the health of your team_."

"Actually sir, that is partially why I called," Kyla replied, nervous as the conversation approached what she had been planning to ask. "Each Beacon student has a file, correct professor?

"_Yes, you are correct miss Greene_."

"Does each student have a medical file as well?"

"_Ah. Yes they do. I have two... unique files regarding members of your team, do you require them_?"

"No sir, I was actually wondering, is it possible to delete those files from Beacon records?" She tensed as a pause echoed from the other line.

"_Yes, I think that would be possible. Although I cannot remove the entire medical file, I can delete any records of unique medical conditions. Has Chad already agreed to this?"_

"I think he would greatly appreciate it," Kyla replied, a smile forming across her face.

"_Understood. We just do this... press... and done. Chad Jetifire's unique medical condition has been removed from his permanent record and his Beacon file_."

"Thank you sir, I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that."

"_Good. Just out of curiosity, would you like me to delete the second unique medical file_?"

"No, I think that one should be kept, just in case something happens when I'm not around and the school needs it."

"_Understood. Is that all, miss Greene?"_

"Yes sir, thank you for your time."

"_Of course, I am always willing to help. Now it is getting late, and you and your team are nearly past curfew. Word of warning: professor Goodwitch is currently patrolling the northwestern grounds, it may be best to avoid the area on your way to your dorm_."

"Noted, thank you sir."

"_Ah yes, one more thing. Please tell Mr. Jetfire than any mechanical parts and tools from the warehouse he may need shall be delivered to your dorm in around a day or two, and that he need not worry about previous parts taken from the building. That is all_." The call dropped, and Kyla let off a long sigh of relief. The sun had nearly set, and she saw the rest of her team far ahead of her. Smiling, she quickly sprinted after them to warn against traveling through the northwestern grounds on the way back to their room.

* * *

The door to the White Fang HQ leader office slammed open, Vito storming into the room. "Idiots, all of them," he was muttering, shuffling through multiple papers. He strode towards his desk, but froze mid stride.

"You've been avoiding my calls Vito," a voice sounded from the leaders chair behind the desk. "Have you forgotten our arrangement?" The curtains were drawn across the window, concealing the desk and chair in shadow.

"Y-you?!" the Faunus stammered, the papers in his hand scattering to the floor as he stepped back. "How did you get in here?"

"You're avoiding the question Vito," the voice replied. "And you know how much I distaste people who waste time. I have another job for you and your men" The Faunus gulped before regaining his composure.

"What's the job?" he growled through gritted teeth.

The voice chuckled from the darkness, a deep, rumbling noise. "That's more like it." a gloved hand passed into the light, placing a small object on the desk. Bronze's hard-drive sat shimmering in the light, it's gold chain coiled around it.

* * *

_Dun Dun Duuuuuun! Who is this mysterious voice? What's he planning? What does it have to do with Bronze's hard-drive? Will Yuan ever get a girlfriend? Find out (Maybe) in the coming chapters! (You probably wont find out)._

_But on a more serious note, as I said before, I am very thankful for not only the reviews directed at any of my notes and questions, but also at all the others you guys make! I'm always getting helpful reviews that assist me in writing the next chapter, however something I'm always wondering is what you guys think of the specific plot and characters, and I'm always exited and willing to hear on what you guys have to say about that stuff, especially in chapters like this one, which has got some pretty hard hitting and deep content._

_But anyways, thanks for reading!_


	24. Chapter 19: Teamwork

_Uggg, really long and difficult chapter, so, uh, time kind of slipped past me on this one, and I didn't actually realize the third Wednesday deadline had come and gone until about a day ago, I've actually been working on another two stories I plan on releasing reasonably soon, so stay tuned for that. I say it way to much but I'm going to keep saying it cause I feel bad and I love you guys, but sorry for being late._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

A lone Beowolf prowled between the bushes and trunks that lined the forest floor. Bone-like spikes protruded from its legs and back, covering the elder Grimm's black bulk. The creature towered over many of the lower shrubs, however even this wolf couldn't compare with the ancient trees surrounding it. The creature paused mid stride, ears perked up for the faintest sound. Minutes past before the Grimm moved again, continuing its patrol.

The ambush was set. The plan was simple. Yet Carter couldn't help but feel anxious. "_Alright guys_," he thought. "_Just like we practiced. Over, and over, and over again..._" The leader sighed internally, glancing at his partner beside him. Raphael was glaring intently at the approaching Grimm, continually shifting his position in order to see from behind the bush they were using to hide.

Carter returned his gaze back at the Beowolf as well, tensing as the creature neared the spot where they hid. "_Just a bit closer... almost there... and..._ NOW!" he shouted, springing from his hiding spot along with his partner. Sam and Yuan jumped up on the Grimm's opposite side, surrounding the creature.

The Beowolf roared in surprise, slashing around itself. The students dodged the strikes, however the plants they had been using for cover were ripped to shreds.

"Crimson Shield!" Carter ordered as he and the rest of his team landed. Immediately Raphael and Sam sped at the Grimm, attacking from either side. The Grimm slashed at the closest attacker; Raphael, forcing the Faunus to dodge to the side. While the Grimm was distracted, Sam launched her shield full force at the creature. However the shield only bounced off the Beowolf's chest harmlessly, then continued to ricochet right into Raphael, knocking the Faunus out of the air and onto the forest floor.

"Hey!" Raphael growled, pushing himself off the ground. "Watch it!"

"You watch it!" retorted Sam as she ran over to retrieve her shield. "If you had stayed in position then I wouldn't have hit you!"

"If I had stayed in position, then I would've been ripped to shreds!"

"Well then maybe at least you wouldn't have messed up my shot!"

"Guys!" Carter called, "look out!" The two students turned just as a massive paw smashed into them, sending them spiraling backwards. As the teammates landed the Beowolf charged towards them, growling and snarling as it weaved between trees.

A blast of fire erupted in the creatures path, halting the Grimm. Beady red eyes swiveled to glare at the blonde boy pointing his staff at the creature.

"Have no fear, _I'm_ here to save the day!" Yuan exclaimed, the dial on the head of his staff spinning to a new dust crystal. "Just sit back and watch the show!" The Beowolf snarled and changed its course, rushing at the boy.

Far behind it, Carter was sprinting through the tree's to catch up to the rest of his team. "Yuan, wait!" the team leader called out as he saw the Grimm charge.

Claws raked across the boy's triangular shield, but Yuan held fast as he jabbed at the Grimm with his weapon. The staff surged with electricity, zapping the creature as it let out a yelp. The cry of pain quickly turned to a growl however, and the Beowolf swung its paw around and swatted the boy away.

As Yuan smashed into the ground his weapon flew out of his hand, the head of the staff striking against one of the forest's large stones. The boy scrambled to retrieve the weapon as the Grimm prowled closer, bringing it by his side once more. However now a slight whining sound emanated from the weapon, accompanied by the occasional spark from its head.

"Alright, electricity didn't work, let's see how you like a little flame!" Yuan jeered, the dial on his staff turning to a new dust crystal. The head of the weapon burst into flame, causing the Beowolf to shrink backwards slightly, however the noise sounding from the weapon began to worsen. "I have a burning question for you; is it hot in here? Oh wait, that's just- Yikes!" The boy dodged to the side as a claw tore into the earth, ripping apart the foliage he had been just standing on.

"Fine, you wanna play? Let's play!" and the boy pulled the trigger on the staff. But instead of a blast of fire blazing from the weapon, a horrible, grinding noise echoed from the staff. "Uh, that doesn't sound good," the boy fretted as various other noises sounded from his weapon. The flame suddenly went out, replaced by a rapidly changing array of different dust type effects as the dial spun wildly out of control.

"C'mon you stupid staff, this is not the time to go haywire!" Yuan pleaded as he tried to stop the spinning dial. The changing effects ended on a white dust crystal, and a swirl of energy began to gather around the weapon. The whining sound had now returned, and was building steadily in pitch as the energy gathered.

The Beowolf was nearly upon him once again, the creature growling as it neared its prey. "Uh, guys, little help?" the boy asked. Sam and Raphael had just clambered off each other and were running once again towards the fight. Carter had nearly caught up as well, however was too far away to be of help.

"Sam!" the team leader called. "Golden amber! Defend Yuan!"

"I've got an opening!" replied the warrior, continuing to run at the Grimm instead of her partner.

"Yuan needs help! That's an order!"

"I'm finishing this now!" Sam exclaimed, still ignoring her teammate. Once again she hurled her shield at the Beowolf, and at the same moment the energy in Yuan's weapon blasted out of the staff. The two hit mid-air and combined, the energy engulfing the shield and speeding up its velocity tenfold. The weapon ricocheted madly off every surface it touched, striking both Yuan and Raphael hard before finally smashing into Sam and hurling her backwards with other two.

The Grimm, which had gone untouched, prowled over the heap of students, mouth agape in a ferocious and victorious snarl. But before it could even lay a claw on the students, a dual-bladed staff spun through the air and buried itself into the creatures shoulder. Roaring in pain, the Grimm reared up as the last member of CYRS jumped onto the creatures back. Carter wrenched his weapon out of the Grimm's hide before clambering up to the thrashing Beowolf's head. Ducking a claw swipe the boy leapt off the monster, and as he fell plunged the end of his staff into the Grimm's eye. The creature was dragged downwards along with the boy, and the Grimm was dead before Carter even touched the ground. The Beowolf collapsed in front of the rest of CYRS, who were only now just pushing themselves off the dirt.

"_One_ Beowolf! Just _one_!" Carter ranted as he wrenched the staff out of the dead Grimm's skull. "That's all you had to do! You couldn't work together for just one Grimm? What happened?"

"Well, if Raphael had just stayed in position we would have been fine," Sam replied, standing and dusting herself off.

"Me? You're blaming me?!" the Faunus growled, standing as well. "You hit me with you're shield! Plus, you were the one who defied orders!"

"I had an opening," she retorted, glaring at the Faunus.

"Yeah, and look how well that turned out! Way to go!"

"Hey guys, I think it turned out alright," Yuan intervened. "All thanks to me of course."

"All thanks to you?!" Sam repeated coldly. "You nearly got us killed with that broken weapon of yours!"

"Hey, It was your shield that hit us!"

"It was your dust attack that made it go out of control!"

"Why don't we just say you're both to blame, and that you both messed everything up," Raphael remarked dryly.

"Yeah, like you did anything useful," Sam scoffed.

"Guys! GUYS!" Carter shouted, unsuccessfully trying to make himself heard over his teams bickering. The leader sighed, splitting his staff and transforming one of the broadswords into its pistol form. The rest of CYRS whipped around as he fired a round of shots into the air, eyes wide.

"I can't take it anymore, you three have been like this since day one! We're already in the second semester of the year, and you haven't been able to work together at all as a team, but I thought we were finally getting better the last few weeks. I mean, we had great teamwork in the capture the flag game, what happened?"

"Uh, no, actually. We didn't have great teamwork," Raphael replied.

"Yeah, most of the wins we got from that were from us working on our own. Every time we tried to work as a team was when the other teams got points," Sam added.

"But what about that last game?" Carter asked. "You worked together amazingly! We even did the pinwheel shockwave move we've been working on."

"That was just one game, and even you said that was the only time we actually pulled it off correctly," Yuan countered. "Face it, we're just not cut out to be a team."

"We could be, if you three could just work together. Why do you think we've been practicing so often and setting up attack strategies and names?"

"I don't even get why we need those weird code names anyways," the Faunus asked grudgingly. "I mean, Crimson shield? Golden amber? What does that even mean?"

"They're names that combine attributes for a pair of us, either with our colors, names, or weapons," the leader replied. "We all helped think of them, and they're supposed to help keep things organized. It's a strategy used by some hunters, Goodwitch recommended it."

"And look how well it's worked out for us," Raphael retorted sarcastically.

"I for one support the strategy and code naming," Sam intervened. "However one thing I'm opposed to is that you keep insisting to put me in defensive positions! I've trained for years, longer than any of you in fact, in front line _attack_ maneuvers."

"I know you have, but we need a second supporting role on this team other than just Yuan. You may not realize it, but you make a really good defender," Carter answered. "I've seen your aptitude for it."

"Plus, you're the one who's got a shield as their main weapon," Yuan added. "So, it kind of fits."

"My semblance is strength!" persisted Sam. "How is that defense?!"

"Strength doesn't always necessarily mean attack power. Plus, I never said you should only be a defender, you're right in that you have great offensive abilities as well. I think we just need to find a balance between the two."

"Forget it Carter," Raphael broke in. "She's to block-headed to be reasoned with." No sooner had the words left the Faunus's lips a shield sailed into the boy's chest, flinging him backwards into a tree. The projectile spun back into Sam's hand as she advanced on Raphael, who had drawn his weapons as well and was rearing to fight.

"Yeah! Fight! Fight! Fight!" cheered Yuan.

"ENOUGH!" Carter bellowed, stepping between the fuming students. The entire team froze in shock, for they had never heard their team leader shout at them. "It's been a long day training, and we could all use a break from each other and some rest. That's an order." Moments passed of utter silence as no one moved, until Sam sighed and lowered her shield. The blades on Raphael's gauntlets retracted as well, however he could be heard grumbling slightly as he turned and stomped off into the forest back towards Beacon. Sam began the trek home as well, fuming in silence aside from occasionally kicking any bush or rock that stood in her way.

Yuan glanced at CYRS's leader before following the pair, continually rapping the end of his still sparking staff against nearby trees in frustration. Carter sighed, transforming and sheathing his weapons. The dead Beowolf beside him was already half decomposed, it's remains slowly evaporating into the air. Although this part of the Emerald Forrest had a relatively scarce amount of Grimm, Carter knew the argument that had just ensued would likely attract more of the monsters, and so he kept a hand trained on his weapons as he too began the march home.

* * *

The door to CYRS's dorm creaked open as Carter glanced inside, and he was unsurprised to find the room empty. The light of the setting sun was shining through the window, illuminating the dorm. The team leader was about to step inside when a pair of feet echoed behind him, and a voice spoke out.

"G'day mate!" Oliver greeted, walking up alongside of Rowan. "What are ya up to?"

"Uh, nothing," Carter replied, scratching the back of his neck. "Just getting back from today's training."

"Ah, and how'd it go this time?"

"Same as usual?" Rowan asked.

"Worse, actually," CYRS's leader replied glumly. "Probably the worst we've done."

"Aw c'mon mate, it couldn't have been that bad. I bet it wasn't worse than that time you four took on a pack of Beowolves and Yuan accidentally knocked you out, right?"

"Only one Beowolf this time," Carter sighed. "And yet we still ended up doing more damage to ourselves. And to top it all off practice ended with a pretty bad argument."

"Ah, I see," Oliver acknowledged. "So, where are they now?"

"Not sure, but if I had to guess? Yuan's probably down at the engineering department fixing up Morning Star, Raph could be on any one of the roofs of the buildings in Beacon, and Sam's most likely off tearing up gym equipment."

Oliver nodded, "Yeah, they could probably have some time away from each other from the sounds of it. But to be honest mate, you'll have to work this out eventually."

"I know, I just don't know what to do. I've tried everything I could think of to get them to work together, but nothing's worked."

"I'll go talk to Raphael," Rowan offered, "see if I can't talk some sense into him."

"Uh, are you sure?" asked Carter. "He was pretty upset last time I saw him, and he doesn't exactly-"

"Trust me, I can handle him," the Faunus assured, already walking down the hall.

"So," Oliver continued, "you've tried everything you can think off, what's your plan now?"

"Like I said, I'm not sure," the swordsman replied. "What do you think? I mean, how do you get your team to work together so well?"

"Well, we haven't always done so well. Though honestly it's been a lot better since Will and Tiffany had their, uh, 'talk' a couple weeks ago. Tiff or Rowan still might protest at my occasional extravagant plan-"

"Occasional?" Carter repeated bemusedly, a smirk catching the corner of his mouth.

"Alright, alright, reasonably common extravagant plan. But that's not the point! The point is that these things can take time mate, and your teams particular... er... personalities might need a little bit longer than others."

"But that's precisely the problem!" CYRS's leader exclaimed." I don't blame them for it, but each of their personalities alone make it difficult for them to work with others. Sam still has a bit of trouble trusting us or even treating us like equals, and she's so perfectionistic and competitive its borderline aggressive! Raphael prefers solo fighting and hates working with anyone, including me sometimes. He even has trust issues of his own! Meanwhile Yuan won't stop trying to show off, even if it means putting himself in danger. And the best part of it all is, we don't have time! Our first mission is coming up, and with the way things are going, we might as well just accept a failing grade now!" As Carter ranted, Oliver secretly took out his scroll and sent multiple messages, angling the device away so it wouldn't be seen.

"Second mission mate," the boy corrected, tucking the scroll back in his pocket.

"What?"

"Remember, your team's already been on their first mission, even if it wasn't graded. All the first year teams are each going on a mission, so it's your second one.

"Right right, yeah. But still-"

"I know mate, and I'm sorry to say I don't have an answer to your problem. Although I've tried, I haven't always been a very good problem solver when it comes to this sort of stuff. Now if you want strategy, then I'm your guy, but that's about all I've got."

"Well, who am I supposed to talk to then?"

"I think I've got just the person," OWTR's leader beamed. "C'mon, let's go see if KONJ is still up."

* * *

In the nearby dorm room, the remainder of team OWTR were just finishing their own work for the day. William was scribbling away at his desk as usual, but stopped mid stroke as his scroll vibrated beside him. Across the room, Tiffany paused from polishing her weapon as her scroll buzzed as well. Glancing at each other, the pair each checked their devices and at the message they had received.

"You get the same message?" Tiffany asked, holding up her scroll.

"From our dear leader Oliver," William answered before reading; "'Team CYRS having troubles, have a plan to help them out. Go find Sam and Yuan'. Oh, how exciting!"

"I'll go get Sam I guess, about time we did something about them. I've gotten so tired of hearing Sam complain."

"Weren't acquainted with her before our admittance into Beacon?" the writer asked.

"Yeah, and she was just as full of herself before as she is now." the warrior replied, propping her weapon against the wall. "She's probably down at the training grounds, you'll have to find Yuan on your own." And with that, she walked out the dorm, William following close behind. They each took a different direction down the hall, beginning their search.

* * *

Barely a sliver of sunlight was left peeking out above the horizon, and even that was covered by the many tall spires that made up Beacon academy, blanketing it in a rapidly darkening twilight. However one single bright beam passed perfectly between the many buildings and structures, illuminating a small patch of roof in the midst of the darkness. And in the center of this patch sat Raphael, arms around his knees as he sat watching the last glimpses of the day slip away.

"You know, you should really find a less obvious hiding spot," a voice advised from behind him. The Faunus swiveled around in alarm, however relaxed as he saw Rowan stepping up beside him.

"It gives a nice view of the sunset," replied Raphael briskly. "Plus... the food courts right nearby if I ever get hungry."

"Alright, it does sound like a nice spot," chuckled Rowan, taking a seat beside him. "Maybe we could even start training up here. What do you think?" A few moments passed with no response. "Raph?" the girl turned to look at the second Faunus, who had gone back to staring out into the sunset.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. What were you saying?"

"Just talking about training. You alright?"

"I'm fine, why?" the boy replied, raising an eyebrow at her.

"You seem quieter than usual, and that's saying something for you. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, just... thinking."

When Raphael didn't continue, Rowan pressed further; "Thinking about what? Is it... about your guy's practice today? It couldn't have been that bad you know."

"No, that's not it. I mean, maybe just a little bit, but I could honestly care less about that," the Faunus replied grudgingly. Rowan could tell he was lying, but decided not to press about the subject.

"Alright, well, what is bothering you then? You've been off recently, even off you won't let others see it."

Raphael sighed, returning his gaze back out into the sky. "You have to promise not to tell my team or anyone else, even Carter. I don't think they would understand." Rowan nodded, though she wasn't sure if the other Faunus actually saw her. "It's the White Fang. More and more attacks have been happening, something has to be done about them."

"The White Fang? You're still worried about that, and you haven't said anything? When were you planning on telling your team?"

"I just said it, they wouldn't understand." stated the Faunus.

"You can't just keep a secret like that from your whole team though! If it's still bothering you, then you should at least say something!"

"Yeah, well, what about you? You haven't exactly been honest with your team either, what with your lack of a semblance!" He froze as he realized what he had said. "I... I'm sorry. That was too far."

"No, you're right," Rowan sighed. "I haven't been honest with my team, but that's because my secret doesn't effect them, at least not yet. You, on the other hand, are a different story. You've been distracted, more angry recently, and that doesn't only effect you, it effects your team. I'm not saying it's just your fault that you guys are having trouble, I know the others could do with some work as well. I'm just saying that you need to start trusting them and letting them know what's going on. You can't keep these things bottled up forever."

"But what if they don't-"

"If you really think they won't understand, then you need to work out your own things out with them first. If you want to be able to trust them, then let them trust you. A good way to start might be to apologize for anything that may have happened during todays training practice."

"Apologize?!" Raphael repeated gruffly. "Sam was the one mouthing off and who hit me! Yuan only made things worse!"

"Yes, but knowing you, Sam wasn't the only one who said or did something hurtful. As for Yuan, I know he means well, he might just have troubles of his own." The boy only grunted in response. "Now c'mon," Rowan continued, standing and stretching. "Let's go see your team."

Raphael only sat for a moment, staring out into the sky. "Fine," he sighed, standing as well. "I still don't know if I'm going to tell them about the White Fang, but you are right about everything else. Thank you."

"Hey, that's what friends are for. Us Faunus have got to stick together, right?" she asked jokingly.

"Right," the boy smiled, and the two began their way off the roof, the last beams of light fading from the horizon behind them.

* * *

A knock sounded from outside of KONJ's door, turning the heads of the four team members. "I'll get it!" Opal exclaimed, springing from her seat to get the door. "Oh, hey Oliver! Hey Carter!"

"G'day!" Oliver greeted.

"Hey, sorry to bother you," Carter added.

"Oh, not at all," Kyla assured, walking over to the door. "What do you need?"

"Carter here needs some advice on leading his team," Oliver explained.

"Ah, another practice gone bad?"

"Is it really that obvious?" CYRS's leader asked.

"I'd be happy to help," she chuckled before turning to call back to the others in the room. "Hey team, could we have the room to ourselves for just a bit?"

"Sure, I've been wanting to stop by the food court anyways!" Chad answered.

"Snacks, yaaay!" Opal cheered, running from the room. Chad and Norem followed, the door closing behind them.

"So, what happened?" Kyla began as she took a seat on her bed.

"The usual; we tried to work together as a team and failed miserably," Carter replied, taking a seat in one of the nearby chairs. "Yuan tried to show off, Sam denied orders, and Raphael was... well... Raphael. They just can't work together."

"What about you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you just described what happened with your team, but not you. You're just as much a part of CYRS as they are. So is there maybe anything you could have done better as well, something you would have done differently?"

Carter thought for a moment, shoulders sagging as he thought about the other leaders words. "I lost my temper when I shouldn't have. Yelled at and chastised them when I should've been trying to fix the problem calmly. I'm just as much to blame as they are."

"I don't think any of you are really to blame," Kyla commented. "We all make mistakes. Just because you haven't been working well together doesn't mean it's the end of the world. You just need to be able to admit your mistakes and work on fixing them, and helping your team fix theirs. That's what it means to be a leader."

"Being a leader is hard," Carter sighed.

"Tell me about it," Oliver chimed in. His scroll buzzed in his pocket, and after reading the message, Oliver nodded silently to Kyla without Carter noticing.

"So, what do you think you can do differently? If you could talk to your team right now, what would you say?" Kyla asked.

"I would say... that I'm sorry. Sorry for getting angry and for not trying to get everyone to calm down and just talk things out. And, maybe, that I'm sorry for pushing them too hard to do something they might just not be ready to do. I'd tell them I know it will take time for us to get along, but that I'm willing to take that time, no matter how long it takes. Because even though they aren't perfect, neither am I, and I think that's true perfection. And I would ask them... I would ask them if I've done a good job as a leader, if I've done a good job guiding them, and helping them, or if I've failed them. And if I have failed, then I would ask how can I do better for them."

"Well then mate," Oliver smiled, "why don't you tell them?" and the door to the room swung open with a flick of Kyla's hand. The entire rest of OWTR and KONJ stood out in the hall, just behind Sam, Raphael, and Yuan all standing in a row.

No one spoke for what seemed like an eternity, everyone simply staring at each other, unsure of what to say. Finally Carter stood from where he was sitting and walked over to the open door, stopping in front of his team. "I... I'm sorry I lost my patience with you, and, I-"

"We heard everything," Yuan intervened.

"You don't have to say it again," Sam added. "And, I'm sorry I defied orders, I know you were just trying to have us help each other and work together better. And, uh, Raphael, I'm sorry that I hit you and then blamed you for our failure, then... hit you again. I'll be more mindful next time I attack with teammates nearby."

The Faunus sighed before grumbling; "I'm sorry I lost my temper, and called you a blockhead."

Everyone turned to look at Yuan, who looked around in protest as if he had done nothing wrong before finally giving in. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry for showing off... and... for encouraging violence between teammates..."

"And Carter," Sam began, "you are a great leader, and have most certainly not failed us. Just keep doing what you're doing."

"Yeah, I'd even say you're one of the best!" Yuan commented. "No offense to you guys."

"Non taken," Oliver and Kyla replied simultaneously.

"Thank you guys," Carter beamed. "And I know we're not gonna perfect, and it might be a long time before we are, but I'm willing to wait-"

"No matter how long it takes," all of CYRS said together, as one.

* * *

Vito strode from within his office into the large main warehouse-like room of the White Fang HQ. his office was among the highest in the buildings, and as such the door leading to it led to a platform over looking the large main room. Dozens of Faunus worked and trained bellow, all wearing masks with slits for eyes.

"V-Vito?" Bruno gasped, the large bear Faunus looking in surprise at his leader. "Where have you been? You've barely showed yourself for weeks now."

"That's because I've been planning our next mission," the wolf Faunus replied briskly. "Where are Colin and Andrea?"

"Uh, down bellow with the other soldiers."

"Bring me to them, and contact the lieutenants and tell them to meet us there as well."

"O-of course, right away," the bear Faunus quavered, descending down the metal grated stairs that led bellow. He pulled out a scroll and tapped on it, however had difficulty with his large fingers pressing multiple buttons at once on the device.

Many of the White Fang grunts and soldiers gave a large berth of the Faunus pair lounging in the large rooms corner, mainly due to ones mad cackling and the others unique choice of pets.

"Andrea, how many times have I told you to keep those... things in cages," Vito criticized as he and Bruno walked up to them. A large King Taijitu was curled up against the wall of the room, the lion Faunus sitting atop it like a throne with one arm draped across one of the snakes snouts. A Beowolf and a Ursa also rested next to her, the wolf Grimm resting its head on the woman's lap.

Andrea turned her angular face towards the White Fang leader, smiling brilliantly. If she wasn't surrounded by Grimm, Vito had no doubt she would be catching the attention of many of the men here, quite possibly even himself. "Oh, my darlings aren't hurting anyone, isn't that right Peanut," she purred as she stroked the Beowolf's ear.

"Well, just try and not keep them around everyone else. You're making the men nervous."

"Are the Grimm, or am I?" she smirked.

Vito sighed as he turned to the last of the White Fang admins. Colin was surrounded by the Androids they had received on their last big assignment, most lined up and deactivated, however some were disassembled and scattered around the haphazard workshop. The badger Faunus was currently creating a loud racket as he worked, which was occasionally broken by the one of the Faunus's cackling laughs as he made some sort of discovery or breakthrough.

"Colin," the White Fang leader began, his voice drowned out by the noise. "Colin!" he shouted, yelling to raise his voice above the sound of grinding metal. Finally the engineer looked up from his work, grinning at the wolf Faunus.

"Ah, so our illustrious leader has finally shown himself! To what do we owe the honor?"

"Have you finished with our weapon upgrades?" Vito asked.

"But of course! Please, one moment!" and Colin hurried over to one of the tables, picking up a pair of metal bands and bringing them to Vito. "Upgraded to perfection!"

"And are you sure its practical?"

"Of course! Everything doubles as a gun nowadays! I've upgraded Bruno and Andrea's weapons as well, my own of course is already perfect." Vito placed his weapons upon his wrists before activating them. Now, instead of them just expanding out into gloves, the metal covered most of his forearm. "You should be more on par now with those Beacon students should you ever meet them again."

"They got lucky, it won't happen again," the wolf Faunus growled as he observed his weapons.

"So," Andrea put in, "surely you didn't come all the way from your office to talk about weapons, Vito? I knew you had a love for blades, but I'm curious."

"I've already told Hugo, I've been planning our new mission, I'm just waiting for the- ah, lieutenants! Finally." Four Faunus walked up to the group, each wearing better gear than the regular grunts and unique masks and weapons.

"Oh, I've been wondering when you were going to use them," Colin giggled. The lieutenants stood in a line before Vito, standing in practiced salute. Each bore a certain resemblance to one of the admins or Vito, as each was a lieutenant to one of the four. On the farthest right stood a tall wolf-tailed Faunus, a pair of rapiers at his side. Next to him stood a lightly armored Faunus with two one-handed axes across his back. The third and only girl lieutenant held no weapon, instead having a small blade attached to the end of her monkey tail. The last Faunus stood a head above the rest, a tattoo across one of his bare arms. At his side was a huge chainsaw weapon, which was menacing just to look at.

"Excellent, you're all here," Vito praised. "Now we can begin with the plan."

* * *

_So, something that ive been thinking about and actually came up in one of my past reviews is a sort of character list to help you guys (and me partially) keep track off all these different characters in this story, especially considering we just introduced four new White Fang lieutenants (don't worry, it shouldn't be too confusing) and we're getting into a bit more about the existing admins. the only problem is, I'm not exactly sure how to do that in a way that would allow you guys to see it easily whenever you need to but still allow me to update it every chapter if need be. I would just make it a chapter on its own, but there are rules against that so I cant. that's why I'm going to you guys, do any of you have any suggestions on how I could do this? thanks!_

_A few other notes before I go:_

_-before anyone says anything, I did warn you first chapter that there might be some similarities with this story and RWBY volume 2. some of the similarities are actually intentional, as I want this story to sort of reflect on the show._

_-be honest, is it bad that I'm doing a similar code name thing as to what happened in RWBY with their dual person commands? if it bothers anyone or someone thinks I shouldn't use such a similar idea I'm fully capable of changing it, just curious._

_lots of stuff to talk about sorry you don't have to answer them all or any at all if you want to thanks and as always:_

_Thanks for reading!_


	25. Chapter 20: Assighnments and Missions

_so a little note that I couldn't empizize earlier last chapter: that make up talk at the end __(it was a bit Disney, sorry, but hey, RWBY _is_ a fairytale inspired story) __was just a sort of starting point to CYRS getting along, there will still be lots more troubles ahead (mentioning it just in case someone gets confused). also, thanks for the suggestions on how I can better organize and list my characters, I'm going to take a look around and see what I can do with those suggestions._

_shorter chapter because its setting up for a big action pact mid season chapter, but anyways,_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"Ohmygosh I'm so exited!" Opal squealed as she skipped around in a small circle. The luggage on her back swung wildly with each pass, threatening to launch into one of the Beacon students in the small crowd gathered in the auditorium.

"Opal, please," Kyla begged, "could you just put your bag with the others?"

"But I wanna be able to leave right after we get an assignment!"

"Then could you please at least sit still? The ceremony's going to begin any minute, and you're starting to attract stares."

"Uh, sorry, but I think that's probably me," Yuan chimed in, flexing gangly arms for effect. The rest of CYRS rolled their eyes, Sam even going as far as to giving a short bark of laughter. They, OWTR, and KONJ were all gathered in a group amongst the auditorium crowd.

"But aren't you exited sis?" Opal asked, bouncing in place. "It's our very first mission! And we get to work with a professional Huntsman or Huntress! It's like a field trip from back in school, except with guns!"

"I know I am," Oliver put in. "It'll be nice to finally put our training to use and go against some real danger!"

"And to be able to see what a real Huntsman is like in action," Rowan added.

"I know right, I wonder if we'll get anyone famous?" Yuan wondered aloud. "Oh, you think if I have their Hunters card they'll sign it? That'd be awesome! Maybe they could do it for you too Kyla!"

"I- uh- what? Haha what are you talking about?" KONJ's leader stammered loudly. "I don't have any of those cards, they're for kids, yeah," as she spoke, a Hunter collectors card fell from her pocket and floated to the floor. "Oh, uh, that- thats's not mine, it's Opals," as she kneeled down to snatch up the card more of them fell to the floor. "I- uh- listen alright okay I'm just holding them for Opal that's all haha," she snatched all the cards up Into her arms, glancing around before scooting closer to the blond boy and whispering; "Do you really think so?"

"Neeerrrd!" A voice called behind them, and the teams turned to see ENVY walking up to them, Emmett in the lead as always. "Of course you guys would be playing with a kids game, what else would you expect from a bunch of losers and nerds."

"Hey!" Opal exclaimed, "Just because my sister plays a collectors card game doesn't make her a nerd! She's a nerd because of a whole bunch of other reasons!"

"Gee, thanks Opal," Kyla sighed.

"What do you want Emmett?" Carter asked gruffly.

"Oh, just checking in before the ceremony to see what mission you're planning on taking," Emmett sneered. "We're going for one of the most difficult ones, and we're gonna complete it perfectly. But you'll probably want to stick with something simple and easy, like border patrol or whatever. Wouldn't want to push your teams to hard, now would we?"

"We could do any mission twice as well as you could," Sam scoffed, glaring at Emmett.

"Oh? Is that a challenge?" ENVY's leader smirked, returning the glare.

"It wouldn't be a very fair one, now would it? Considering we've already been on one mission already."

"That doesn't count," Emmett growled.

"Sure, of course not. How were those three weeks of detention anyways? I heard you had to work kitchen duty and clean dishes, must have been fun on the 'all you can eat buffet' night."

"Why you little-"

"Good evening, and thank you for your patience," Ozpin's voice cut across the auditorium, silencing Emmett and the rest of the crowd. The students all turned to look at the headmaster standing on the stage, eager to get their first missions. "As has been most likely explained to you multiple times in the past few weeks, today you shall all partake in your first mission as teams. Of course, as first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission instead of just going off on your own. I assure you, in the future you will all have plenty of opportunities to prove yourselves with only your teams, but in regards to today, you will follow the guidance of whomever you are assigned to. You will all have multiple choices for which mission you can choose, each with varying difficulty. Some of you may be leaving the Kingdom for several days, while others may work within the walls of Vale. But whatever you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to trust your teammates." As the speech ended and the crowd applauded, multiple holographic screens rose from the auditorium, each showing a variety of different assignments.

"Alright, c'mon sis!" Opal cheered. "Let's go let's go let's go!"

"Awesome, let's go get ourselves a mission mates!" Oliver added, beginning to lead his team towards one of the screens.

"We should go too, before all the good ones are taken," Carter proclaimed, but before he could take a single step, the microphone sounded once again over the building.

"Ah, yes, I almost forgot," Ozpin stated. "Would the teams CYRS and OWTR please come see me in my office. That is all."

Carter froze along with the rest of his team, and it could be seen that team OWTR had frozen in their tracks. Confusion churned inside Carter as murmurs and glances directed at the teams came from the surrounding crowd.

"So, uh, does this mean we're not gonna go on a mission?" Yuan asked.

* * *

CYRS and OWTR stepped out of the elevator into the headmasters office, the latter team gazing around in aw at the room along with Sam. Carter, Yuan, and Raphael had been there once before, but the countless rotating gears and breath-taking view still amazed them.

"Please, take a seat," Ozpin said from the chair behind his desk. Glynda Goodwitch stood beside him, tapping on her scroll as usual.

As the nervous students each sat in one of the many chairs that had been set up, Carter spoke up. "Uh, sir, are we in trouble?"

"Trouble? Of course not, why would you ask?" Ozpin replied.

"Well, uh, because you called us to your office when we're supposed to be picking our missions."

"Yes, I suppose that may have been a cause for alarm, but you may all relax. I did not call you here to criticize or punish you." The students postures softened, however the confusion and unease, now stacked with curiosity, still hung over them.

"Then, why did you call us here?" Tiffany asked.

"Because I must discuss with you a situation that has arisen that requires your attention. There has been an recent incident that has not yet reached the public; an attack on a facility in the northern reaches of Remnant. The culprits are the White Fang." The whole of CYRS tensed up, Raphael particularly.

"Another one?" Carter asked.

"Yes, in fact this facility is actually owned by the same man whom I believe you have already met; Bronze Geppetto."

"Why are you telling us this sir?" Sam questioned. "No offense, but If it's been raided already then why do we need to be involved? Shouldn't we be off on our missions?"

"Because," the headmaster began, "the White Fang have not just simply attacked the facility, they have taken control of it. We do not know their motives or what they're planning, but we do know that whatever it is it needs to be stopped. I took CYRS from todays selection because that is your mission; to recapture the facility taken by the White Fang."

"Wait, what?!" Carter sputtered. "But sir, we-"

"We almost died the last time we fought the White Fang by ourselves, how are we supposed to capture an entire facility held by them?" Sam finished. "Why were we even chosen for this mission?!"

"And, uh," Oliver chimed in, "sorry to interrupt mates, but, why is my team here then?"

"If you would allow me to explain, I will answer all of your questions. First, you will not be alone. Just because this mission was not one displayed in the auditorium does not mean it doesn't have similar circumstances. Which is why we've chosen one of the best Hunters available to lead this mission and for you to shadow. One who more than one of you are familiar with actually. Additionally, team OWTR will be accompanying you on this mission."

The students sat in astonishment for a moment before Yuan finally exclaimed; "Awesome! Two-team road trip!"

"Second," Ozpin continued, "as for why you were chosen for this mission, the reason is simple; you've faced these terrorists before. You know their weapons, fighting styles, and abilities, if only partially. That knowledge is a crucial advantage, and though you could simply pass that information on to another Hunter or Huntress, nothing is better than first-hand experience. Additionally, your team, the entire first year in fact, have shown remarkable skill and proficiency. With the assistance of team OWTR and the leadership of the chosen Hunter, I believe that you will be able to accomplish this mission."

The students sat dumbfounded for a few moments more, however it was Goodwitch who broke the silence this time. "For the record I for one am thoroughly against this decision, and would remind everyone that this is not a required mission."

"Professor Goodwitch is absolutely correct," the headmaster agreed. "It is clear that this is a lot to take in, and I want all of you to know that this is in no way required of you. If you truly wish, you may decide to not partake in this assignment and choose one of the missions available to the other students. I also-"

"We'll do it," Raphael stated, standing. The other students looked at the Faunus in surprise. Carter glanced at the other two members of his team, who both nodded their heads.

"As a team," CYRS's leader said, standing. The rest of CYRS followed example.

"Us too," Oliver added, standing up along with the rest of OWTR.

"Excellent, I thank you all for your courage and bravery," praised Ozpin. "You will find the airship that will take you to your mission by the docks, along with the Hunter you've been assigned to. Good luck to all of you, and stay safe." The students thanked the headmaster and made their way back to the elevator, talking both excitedly and nervously amongst each other.

* * *

As the luggage-bound teams CYRS and OWTR made their way to the air docks, a voice behind them called out. "Hey guys, there you are!" The members of KONJ ran up to join the teams, each with their own travel luggage.

"What happened? Why did Ozpin call you guys to his office?" Norem asked.

"Because," began Carter "we-"

"We got ourselves our own top secret mission to capture a facility from the White Fang!" Yuan boasted.

"Way to keep it secret," Sam chided.

"Was it actually ever designated as a secret mission?" Tiffany asked.

"He did say it hadn't reached the public yet," William pointed out. "But no, it was never truly specified."

"Aw man, I wanna go on a secret mission!" Opal whined.

"Yeah man, that sounds radical!" Chad added. "Sounds like you guys got lucky!"

"What about you guys, what mission did you choose?" Carter asked.

"We chose village security, for a small town just outside Vale," Kyle replied. "Doesn't sound like much, but it's much better than what ENVY got."

"Why, what happened?"

"Emmett spent so much time bragging about how good they were going to be they got left with one of the only ones that didn't get picked. I hope they like border patrol."

"Ha! Serves them right!" Yuan snickered. Suddenly overhead a few Bullheads sped by, heading towards the Beacon air docks.

"C'mon sis, let's go!" Opal pestered. "I wanna go meet our Hunter!"

"Alright, I suppose we should get going. Good luck on your mission guys!" Kyla waved as she and the rest of KONJ left for the docks.

"Thanks, you too!" Carter called back as they disappeared into the crowd.

"Speaking of meeting the Hunter, I wonder who ours is gonna be?" Oliver asked as they continued walking towards their destination.

"Ozpin did say that some of us know him," Rowan reminded.

"Oh man, I hope he's famous and has his own Hunters card," Yuan hoped, "it would be amazing to get someone to sign one of my cards other than Port."

"He also mentioned that he was one of the best Hunters available, so he must be strong," Sam remarked. "I wonder what- wait, is that...?"

"Dijon?!" Sam and Tiffany exclaimed together. From the crowed strode a tall and heavyweight young man bearing a striking resemblance to Sam. He was dressed remarkably similar to her as well with leather amor covering his body, except for the addition of shoulder pads, chest armor, and thick forearm armor all made of metal. Even his hair had the same messy tangles and brunette color, save for the fact that it was much shorter. His eyes however didn't match Sam's copper shade, and were instead a more rough tan color. The boy's attractiveness was apparent as well, as he caught the eye of many of the students passing by as he strode towards them.

"Hey Sam," the Hunter greeted, waving a thickly armored arm.

"You're the Hunter we're shadowing?" Sam asked bewilderedly.

"Nice to see you too," the boy grinned. "And you was well Tiff, it's been too long."

"Uh, haha, yeah, it has," Tiffany replied, turning away slightly as her checks flushed, not unnoticed by her partner.

"And you must be the rest of CYRS and OWTR," he remarked, turning to the rest of the students.

"Yeah, I'm Carter, and this is Yuan and Raphael," Carter replied.

"And I'm Oliver, and here's William and Rowan," Oliver added.

"It's good to meet you all. My name is Dijon Ambero, an I'll be leading today's mission."

Carter blinked, realization dawning in his eyes. "Wait, Ambero? Then that means your Sam's broth-"

"WHAT?!" Yuan exclaimed in shock. "_The_ Dijon Ambero? I'm like one of your biggest fans! I have your Hunters card!"

"Really? I thought they only made a few of those," Dijon replied with interest. "Just cause I was waaayyy overpowered, right?"

"Yeah, both your attack and defense stats are through the roof! The only downside is your low initiative."

"Bah, I always thought that was dumb, I should be way faster than any of those other cards. I mean, c'mon, how could a Ursa Major have more initiative than me?"

"I know right! I mean-"

Sam cleared her throat, silencing both her partner and her brother. "Could we get back to reality please? What are you doing her Dijon, shouldn't you be back training the new recruits?" she asked.

"Nah, dad's got it handled. Plus I haven't done any assignments in awhile, so when I heard about not only this mission, but that my little sister and her team might be working with me, I couldn't resist."

"We're gonna be working with Dijon Ambero!" Yuan squeaked, clinging to Raphael's arm before the Faunus shoved the blond boy away.

"Alright," Dijon announced, "we'll talk about the mission on the way, so let's get moving. We've got a long flight ahead of us."

* * *

_Next chapters a big one, so stay tuned!_

_Thanks for reading!_


	26. Chapter 21: The Ice Facility Part 1

_First part of the big mid-season battle! Again thank you guys for the suggestions on how to make a character list, I have more details on that below._

_Also, I just wanted to give credit _FranciscoAguirre _and_ Agent_South_Dakota _for creating some of the White Fang Lieutenants for this story, you'll get to meet one of them in a bit more detail this chapter._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

A relentless flurry of wind and hail bombarded the Bullhead as it sped through the ice storm, the vehicle shuddering with each gust. The sounds of the storm could be heard even through the aircraft's heavy iron doors, causing a faint but constant rattling and whistling reverberating throughout the cabin.

"I didn't know we'd be going this far north," noted Carter, gripping the roof of the small room to keep steady. "We must be as far north as Atlas."

"Just about," Dijon replied, stepping around where Tiffany and Sam were talking. "Shouldn't be much farther now until we reach the facility."

"Why would there be a facility all the way out here anyway?" William asked.

"Because it's used for storing old or dangerous projects, and it was supposed to be out of the way enough so that it wouldn't be attacked. But we all know how that worked out." Many of the listening student passengers shifted uncomfortably.

"Ah, I see," replied the writer. A short distance away Raphael and Rowan spoke in hushed tones, quiet enough so no one else would hear. Dijon stepped over to the two Faunus, continually holding the roof to keep balance.

"Hello, sorry to interrupt," the Hunter began. "But, may we talk?"

The two Faunus exchanged glances before nodding. "What do you need?" Rowan asked.

"I just wanted to check on you two. I know this might be a difficult situation for you both, considering who we're about to fight. And I want you to know that-"

"Neither of use care at all about the White Fang, and it doesn't matter that they're Faunus," Raphael growled. "We know the mission."

"What he means to say is that we're fine," the other Faunus assured him. "Thank you though."

"Of course," Dijon nodded. "We're going to need everyone's focus for this mission, so I'm glad you're both handling this well."

A voice suddenly sounded from the cockpit, catching the attention of the passengers; "We're almost out of this storm, then then it won't be long until we reach the mission site."

As the intercom switched off Dijon gathered CYRS and OWTR into a circle in preparation. "Alright team, we're almost at the drop off, so let's go over the plan."

"Wait, drop off?" Carter asked nervously. "We're not actually getting dropped onto the facility, are we?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes, that would be our plan of action. But unfortunately multiple factors have forced us to come up with a new strategy. Now," the Hunter pulled out a small device from his pocket and held it before him, activating it. A 3D holographic map blipped to life inside the circle of students, illuminating the inside of the bullhead with a warm glow.

"Whoa, nice!" Yuan gaped, along with many of the other students. The map showed a massive lake completely frozen over. The area all around the lake was barren except for a few huddles of trees, however there was a tiny island at the very center of the body of water. A long thin bridge led from the lake's edge all the way to the island, the majority of which was taken up by a large multi-leveled structure.

"That's the facility?" Sam asked.

"Yes, we were able to get this map of the area and a few other readings from a reconnaissance group, however we weren't able to get many up close details of the structure's interior itself."

"Don't you have any files or blueprints of the facility you could have gotten from somewhere?" Rowan asked.

"Unfortunately not, like I said this place is under high secrecy, so there wasn't much to begin with. Now one of the reasons we can't drop in is because of the harsh winds and ice, however there's a more pressing issue," Dijon tapped the structure on the map to enlarge it, then pointed to a raised platform on the top of the facility. A large anti-air turret was perched on the platform, looking out over the lake. "That turret will prevent any air assistance for over half a mile."

"How do you know that it's functional? The terrorists may not have figured out how to operate it yet," William pointed out.

"Same reason why we don't have any up close readings, and why we're already down a Bullhead before the mission's even begun." A moment of silence passed before Dijon spoke again; "We're not entirely sure how they were able to activate it, because it can only be activated by a security code."

"It was probably Colin, one of the White Fang admins," Yuan put in. "He's a mechanical genius, and I'm pretty sure his semblance has something to do with controlling machines."

"Yes, I had a theory that might be it considering what I read about the other facility mission you four went on. That turret is one of our primary targets, and it's crucial we take it out by any means necessary."

"So it looks like we'll have to walk there, great," Yuan groaned.

"Unfortunately it won't be that simple," Dijon replied, expanding the map to show the entirety of the lake once again.

"Of course, it never is."

"The bridge," the Hunter pointed, "is heavily guarded by Faunus, and would take far too long to cross. The frozen surface of the lake however, that's an entirely different story."

"That's it! It'd be completely unguarded!" Oliver exclaimed.

"Not exactly. There are teams of snipers watching the lake on all sides from the facility, and multiple patrols patrol the area around the lake frequently, and that's not even the worst of it." Dijon clicked a button on the device, turning the map to thermal mode. At first, nothing unusual was apparent, however as the students examined it with more focus, a detail emerged, or rather, hundreds of details. Just under the cold blue surface of the lake were a multitude of heat signatures, appearing as only tiny pinpricks of light.

"Are those..." Sam began.

"Proximity mines."

"There's so many," Tiffany grimaced.

"Looks like things are gonna get pretty _icy_, am I right?" Yuan grinned. No one else did.

"Alright team, you now know the lay of the land, at least most of it. Our first and foremost objective is to rescue any and all hostages that may be held at the facility. Our second objective is to take out that anti-air gun to allow additional support, and our third objective is to apprehend the leaders of the White Fang and take back the facility. We'll all need _cool_ heads for this mission-"

"Ha!"

"-so let's keep those objectives in mind. Now then, here's the plan..."

* * *

"-and you're sure you've hacked into every security system, alarm, and surveillance in this facility?" Vito pestered, looking down at the lower torso of the Faunus tampering with the underneath of a control board.

"Are you doubting my abilities, esteemed leader? How very unlike you to talk down to your peers," Colin chuckled, voice echoing from below the machine.

"Has it been done?" growled the wolf Faunus through gritted teeth.

"I've taken full control of the facilities network, and I'm finalizing the remainder of our _additions_," the Faunus giggled at the word.

"Well hurry up, I don't know if you remember, but we're on a bit of a schedule!"

"Patience is a virtue, Vito. Sit back, relax! I'll be finished shortly, then we can take a crack at that door."

Vito huffed, looking up to observe the giant metal door across the room and trying to ignore Colin's cackling. They were in the topmost area of the facility; the control room. The place was clogged with monitors and dashboards, multiple Faunus working at them while a few androids guarded the entrance. The place was in shambles after their attack taking over the facility, however the door stood out. The massive sheet of metal hadn't taken a scratch from even the White Fangs best recourses.

"Now I must ask," Colin continued, still underneath the dashboard, "you've been in a rather foul mood ever since we've begun this mission, more than usual that is. What could possibly be occupying our genius leaders mind at a time so crucial to our cause?"

"That is precisely the problem," Vito barked. "This mission could mean the difference between the success and the failure of our goals. However, my client seems to have done everything in his power to make that goal more and more difficult to achieve!"

"Perhaps this mysterious client of yours is testing us, hmm?"

"What? That's insane. Though coming from you, that's no surprise."

"Well said," the mechanic giggled. Just then a masked Faunus separated from the thrall of grunts, stepping over to the pair. It was one of the four lieutenants, Vito's to be precise. The wolf tailed Faunus saluted the leader of the White Fang before giving his report.

"We've just received word that Bruno's team have completely secured the bridge and the perimeter around the facility, and that Andrea has already taken control of the team in charge of the turret. We've had no trouble ever since that Bullhead we shot down, and the patrols have reported the area around the lake completely clear and should be back soon. We've completely secured the entire facility sir."

"Excellent, thank you Don. Report back if you hear any more news, but stay on alert."

"Yes sir!" the lieutenant saluted before marching off.

"'Stay on alert'?" Colin repeated, poking his head out from under his machines. "Still paranoid even after we've essentially secured our ultimate defendable position, eh?"

"That Bullhead was a reconnaissance unit, you of all people should have realized that. We're not done yet, I'm just looking forwards to see what poor souls they're going to send us."

* * *

"This is by far the dumbest thing we've ever done," Raphael muttered, scratching at the mask covering his face.

"I'm gonna have to agree with Raph on this one," Rowan spoke beside him as they trudged through the snow, a slight shiver in her voice. "Couldn't we have stolen some warmer disguises? Or at least used those snowmobiles that patrol had?" She brushed off flakes of snow from the white and black White Fang uniform covering her, fox ears twitching uncomfortably in the cold.

"Those were the only types of uniforms that patrol had on. Plus, it's the only way we're getting into this facility," Dijon's voice echoed from the earpiece inside each of the Faunus's human ears. "At least for you two. As for the vehicles, we'll need those for the next phase of the plan."

"You must admit though, it's just a tad cliche," William's voice sounded through the device.

"Hey, Dijon is a professional and awesome Hunter, so this plan is going to work!" It was Yuan's voice this time.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm with Will," Sam echoed in. "How do we know this is even going to work?"

"Thanks for the votes of confidence guys," Rowan replied, rolling here eyes despite the fact the rest of their teams were miles away.

"Hey Rowan," Yuan's voice sounded once again. "I wonder if that uniform you have used to belong to a sheep Faunus? If so, would that make you a wolf in sheep's clothing?"

"She's a fox you idiot!" Sam shouted back. "And stay focused!"

"Everyone, quiet!" Dijon intervened, stopping all conversation. "Rowan and Raphael, you are nearing the bridge. Remember the plan, don't draw attention to yourselves." The two Faunus nodded to each other as they continued down the beaten-snow path, soon coming to the edge of the vast frozen lake. The long bridge stood before them, leading all the way to the center island, just as the map had described. What the map hadn't shown, however, was the sheer mass of White Fang all along the bridge and it's entrance. Large barricades and trucks had been situated to partially block the path, and an innumerable amount of soldiers stood guard watching at every angle.

"I know Dijon said the bridge was heavily guarded, but I wasn't expecting this," gaped Rowan.

"They've been growing stronger," Raphael muttered as they walked over to the bridge. As they neared its entrance a tall burley Faunus blocked their way, holding out a muscle bound and tattooed arm. A large chainsaw-weapon was slung over his shoulder menacingly.

"Halt!" The Faunus ordered, and the two students did as he asked.

"We've come back to report our patrol sir," Rowan began.

"Where's the rest of your patrol, and your vehicles? And why haven't we received any recent radio communications from your group?" the man demanded.

"We got separated sir, and couldn't get in contact with them because of this awful weather. We'd hoped they would already be back, but from the sounds of it, it seems not." Raphael was impressed with the other Faunus's assuredness, however it seemed the man was still slightly suspicious.

"Very well, what do you have to report?"

"Nothing unusual or out of the ordinary sir, and it's been completely clear of anyone else in the vicinity."

"I see. I'm still interested in how you were separated from the rest of your group, but for now, come with me," the man motioned his hand for them to follow.

"Uh, if it's alright sir, me and my parter were wondering if we could warm up inside and rest for a bit," Rowan was still able to keep the nervousness out of her voice, but not for long.

"Any and all unusual cases or happenings in a patrol must immediately be brought to Vito's attention, you know that. If you would follow me," he finalized, turning and beginning the walk down the bridge

"Of course sir," she sighed, and the two followed the lieutenant.

"This isn't good, I think he might suspect you," Dijon voiced through their earpieces. "Wait until you get inside, then take him out. We can't have any interferences." The two students glanced at each other behind the lieutenants back as they followed him across the bridge. They passed countless other Faunus, many of which saluted the man they were following. The bridge was far longer than it first appeared, taking even more painstakingly long time in the cold to cross.

As the small group finally came to the other end of the bridge, the two disguised Faunus were able to see just how large the facility was. More barricades and guards covered the buildings entranced, however the terrorists quickly stepped aside at the sight of the tattooed lieutenant. A few glanced curiously at Rowan and Raphael, however non approached them.

As possibly dire their situation was, Raphael was still extremely relived at being back inside as the group walked into the structure. His enjoyment quickly faded however as he saw that even the inside of the facility had a multitude of guards, all patrolling around the metal hallways and tall iron doors lining them inside the building.

"You'll need to find somewhere without anyone else around to take out your new friend," Dijon warned through their ears. "Take him by surprise and do it quickly, we don't have much time."

The two students could still only do nothing but glance at each other as they followed the Faunus, both trying to think of a way out of their predicament. Just then the lieutenant turned off the main hallway into one the smaller doors, leading to a series of compact hallways. Only one or two guards passed by them as they walked through, and with their escorts back still to them, the pair turned to each other and nodded.

Raphael slowly crept nearer to the Faunus, raising his arm which still adorned his bracer concealed by his uniform. The boy swung at the back of the mans head, but it appeared the White Fang lieutenant had not believed them after all. Already expecting it, the man caught the blow mid swing, punching the boy in the chest and sending him flying backwards.

Rowan jumped back in surprise to avoid Raphael, bringing out her own weapons she had been concealing. She gasped as she saw the lieutenant reach for his chainsaw, knowing that the noise of the weapon would attract more White Fang. She swung her hooked whip around, wrapping around the mans arm and yanking it away. The older Faunus let out a growl and grabbed onto the whip, yanking it and sending Rowan tumbling forwards onto the ground.

The lieutenant raised his boot to stomp the girl, before suddenly a flash and a blur knocked him backwards. Rowan saw a brief image of Raphael before the blur smashed the White Fang Faunus into the side wall of the hallway, cracking his mask down the middle. The man collapsed in a heap on the floor unconscious as Raphael deactivated his semblance, offering a hand to Rowan.

"What was that?!" Dijon called through the earpieces, voice in a panic.

"It was nothing, we just took care of our new friend, like you asked," Rowan replied as she stood. "We'll be in position shortly."

"Alright, but be carful!"

"You alright?" the other Faunus asked.

"I'm fine, let's hide Lumberjack and get going."

"Lumber-? oh, I get it." The pair dragged the unconscious Faunus into a small nearby compartment, locking the door behind them before continuing their way through the facility. They had no idea of the layout, however there was only one thing they were currently looking for; a way up.

Finally the two clambered up to the facilities roof, gazing out over the frozen lake below. The massive anti-air turret sat on a platform separated from the main roof, however it was not what the pair had come looking for. Raphael pulled out a small compass from his pocket, peering at the needle.

"That's Carter's, isn't it?" Rowan asked, keeping her voice low.

"Yeah, he was pretty reluctant to give it to me for this, but I don't even know why he brought it in the first place."

The two Faunus snuck over to the outer edge of the roof, peering over a railing down at a pair of snipers scanning the lake. The two White Fang soldiers were oblivious to the stealthy students, who crept up behind them before knocking the pair out.

Quickly as they could the two students made their way all along the south edge of the roof, taking out the rest of the snipers guarding the lake. As the last Faunus collapsed, Rowan snatched up his weapon and slung the sniper riffle across her back. The pair made their way back up to the middle of the roof, hunkering down as Rowan set up the weapon facing north.

"You're sure you know how to use that?" Raphael asked.

"Well, when one doesn't have certain abilities to constantly have to train with, it frees up time for learning plenty of other skills."

"Fair enough."

"Dijon, we're in position and awaiting your command," Rowan reported to her earpiece.

"Good, then we can begin the next phase of the plan. We are standing by and ready, so take the shot, and let's hope this works."

"Affirmative, good luck," Rowan replied, looking through the scope and switching it to thermal mode. With extreme care and precision, the Faunus took aim at one of the tiny pricks of light underneath the frozen surface of the lakes edge, and pulled the trigger.

As the shot pierced the ice and struck the mine, the entire area of ice erupted in an explosion that sounded out over the lake. An alarm sounded out over the entire facility just as Rowan took aim once again and detonated a second mine, this one slightly farther from the lakes edge. She exploded a few more mines on the lakes north side as Raphael watched the remainder of the snipers, still oblivious to half of their group missing, hurry over to the roofs north edge. Raphael spun around and exchanged his partners compass for a pair of binoculars, peering out in the opposite direction at the lakes southern edge.

Through the lenses the Faunus saw the remainder of CYRS, OWTR, and Dijon speeding out onto the lake on the snowmobiles they had captured from the White Fang patrol earlier.

"No ones noticed them yet, looks like the plans working," Raphael reported.

"Let's just hope it stays that way," Rowan replied, still firing off shots.

* * *

An alarm rang out over the facilities control room, flashing lights across the ceilings and dashboards. "What's happening!?" Vito demanded as White Fang soldiers scurried around him.

"It would appear some of the mines along the northern shore have been detonated," Collin replied, looking over to his computer from where he had been working at the large metal door. No matter what had been done, the door would still not open. "It looks like you were right about that Bullhead."

"Alert the bridge guards and the patrol that we're under attack!" the White Fang leader ordered.

"Sir, Bruno's lieutenant has gone missing from where he was guarding the bridge!" one of the soldiers called from his console.

"What?!" the Faunus snarled. "What do you mean he's gone missing?!"

"Apparently he was last seen escorting a pair of guards returning from a patrol not long ago, he was actually coming to see you." Vito paused in a moment of thought, eyes widening in realization.

"We have a pair of intruders in the facility, alert everyone!" he bellowed.

"Hehe, it appears our perfect defense has become rather imperfect," Colin giggled.

"Contact Bruno now. Tell him to ready his team and to get on the lake immediately!"

"Oh, sending him off to confront this new foe?"

"Ye-... wait," the wolf Faunus's ears twitched as his mind worked. He squinted at the map on the screen in front of him, showing how the mines were being detonated along the lake. "Have him guard the southern half of the lake, and tell the men to keep watch on all sides of the facility."

"And why would that be? Our enemy is clearly approaching from the north."

"Perhaps," Vito replied. "But normally, when someone is running through a minefield, they would not be running in an exact strait line, detonating that many along the way, wouldn't you agree?"

"Ah ha! You know sometimes I wonder if your a bigger genius than me!" Colin cackled, sending out the orders.

* * *

"Alright team!" Dijon called from his snowmobile driving alongside the others. There were four in all, him on the first, Carter and Yuan on another, William and Oliver paired up on a third, and Sam and Tiffany bringing up the rear. "That cover should buy us enough time to get across, and the smoke and snow plume should prevent them from realizing no ones on the other side!"

"Uh, question!" Yuan shouted. "How do we, you know,_ not_ set off the mines on this side?"

"These snowmobiles have a tracking function, and will tell you when one's coming up," the Hunter replied. "Just follow its path and it'll be smooth sailing from here to the facility!"

"Hey guys," Carter warned. "We've got a problem!" the group all looked to where CYRS's leader was pointing, and saw a large team of White Fang soldiers on snowmobiles headed directly at them.

Dijon gasped, exclaiming "they know!" before a mine detonated beneath his vehicle.

* * *

_Boom! Cliffhanger! stay tuned for part 2 next chapter._

_So I've decided to use google docs to create my character list that will be accsesable to anyone who reads my story. I'm currently in the process of making it, however I'm still working out the details. In particular, I'm wondering what sort of information I should include for each character, here's my basic idea so far:_

_1\. Name_

_2\. Age_

_3\. Gender_

_4\. Race (Human or Faunus)_

_5\. Weapon (along with brief description)_

_6\. Semblance (along with brief description)_

_7\. Basic appearance_

_8\. Interesting or Important notes and facts about character_

_Let me know if there's anything I might have missed or if something on this list shouldn't be there, the character description list should be done by the time the next chapter is up._

_Thanks for reading!_


	27. Chapter 22: The Ice Facility Part 2

_Part 2 of the ice facility episode is here! There's still one more part after this, sorry I wasn't able to finish it up. I was already pretty pressed on time, and I wanted to get this to you guys before another week passed. But hey, school years coming to a close, and though exams might complicate things a bit, once we're done I'll have a lot more time on my hands to write._

_On a better note, I finally got my Character List up and running (Though __I apologize, its not completely finished, I'm going to try and complete it first thing tomorrow morning) however I've encountered a bit of a problem. I have no idea where I can put the link so that you guys can access it. I tried simply putting in one of my chapters, however you cant do anything with it then. I also tried putting it on my profile, and though you can copy it from there, you cant put it in the search bar or the website link bar. if any of you have a solution the problem I would greatly appreciate it, so contact me if you know how to help, thanks!_

_but anyways, enjoy!_

* * *

"Dijon!" Sam and Tiffany screamed together as a plume of smoke and ice enveloped the area in front of them. The students veered their snowmobiles away from the explosion, barely avoiding any other mines.

However Yuan and Carter were not so lucky, and as CYRS's leader steered their vehicle sharply away, the screen in front of him flashed and beeped a single warning.

"Jump!" Carter exclaimed, leaping from the snowmobile and followed closely by Yuan. The vehicle was ripped apart by the ensuing explosion, blasting away the two boys mid air and flinging shards of metal across the ice. The debris detonated additional mines nearby, creating more plumes of smoke.

Carter activated his semblance just as he hit the ground, cracking the ice but leaving him unscathed. Yuan tumbled next to him, yanking up his shield to protect against more metal shards.

"Guys!" Oliver called as he steered his vehicle over. He and William quickly jumped off to help, as Tiffany and Sam sped over as well.

"We're alright, we're okay!" Carter assured as he pushed himself off the ground. "Where's Dijon? Did anyone see if he survived the explosion?"

"He didn't even have time to jump..." William fretted, gazing towards the now dissipating plume.

"He's fine, I know he is!" Sam cut in, jumping off her snowmobile. She nearly lost balance but caught herself, wiping away at her eyes. "Spread out, he's around here some-"

"Lookout, here they come!" Oliver shouted as he pointed out over the ice. The White Fang soldiers were still approaching fast on snowmobiles, zigzagging to avoid the buried mines. There were seven vehicles in all, two soldiers on each except for the middle, which held a single bulking Faunus.

Carter's mind raced, panic starting to seep in. Heart hammering, he shook his head, getting ahold of himself. Drawing himself up, he looked out at the approaching enemies as a plan formulated in his mind.

"Set up the rest of the snowmobiles as cover and start firing at those soldiers, don't let them get to close!" He ordered. "Yuan, you alright?"

"Yeah, sort of..." the blonde boy gasped, still slightly winded from his fall.

"Good, I need you to churn up the ice in front of us, make some rugged ground and maybe even detonate some more of those mines."

"I can do better than that," declared Yuan, pulling the trigger on his staff and spinning the dial at its head onto a blue dust crystal. Twirling his weapon, the boy swept the staff in a line along the ground in front of them. Immediately a series of huge ice spikes erupted from the ground in a line towards the approaching White Fang.

The soldiers veered franticly to avoid the dagger-like columns, all but one evading the attack. An ice spike pierced the front of the last snowmobile in the convoy, throwing off the White Fang and demolishing the vehicle.

Explosions erupted all along the ice spikes path from the disturbed mines, a few of which caught some of the terrorists. Two more soldiers were thrown from their vehicles, the rest still speeding forwards.

"They're in range, fire now!" Oliver called, aiming his weapons and firing. William and Carter let loose a barrage as well, downing another vehicle. The rest veered and dodged the attack, finally bringing them to the students.

The lead soldier jumped from his vehicle, landing with a crash that split the ice beneath him. Bruno hefted his hammer and growled at the students, particularly at Carter. He raised his weapon as it transformed, the head of the hammer folding back to his hand to from a long and massive railgun.

"That's not good," Carter gaped.

"Who is that?" Tiffany asked, ducking behind one of their snowmobiles from a hail of bullets shot from one of the other White Fang soldiers. The remaining three enemy vehicles had begun circling the group, attacking at every opening.

"Bruno, one of the White Fang admins. And it looks like he's gotten an upgrade." The large bear Faunus activated the weapon, and the sound of it charging could be heard even over the gunfire and distance. "Get down!"

The weapon fired just as the students ducked. The bright blue shot launched overhead, barely missing their cover, and hit the edge of the lake farther back. The ice shattered on impact, great ruptures and cracks splitting apart the ice as more was thrown far into the sky from the explosion.

"Well that's new," William observed.

"He's charging up for another shot!" exclaimed Oliver, still firing at the circling vehicles.

"Damn, and we're still pinned down!" Sam cursed, blocking more bullets with her shield.

"Yuan, get a shield up!" Carter ordered, "He's not gonna miss again!"

"On it!" The boy once again spun the dial on his staff, the weapon glowing white as he raised it. Suddenly a stray bullet out of nowhere hit the glowing staff, knocking the weapon out of Yuan's hand. The staff spun through the air and embedded into the ice a short distance away as the light inside of it faded.

"Scatter!" Sam shouted, but it was too late. The railgun fired again, blue light streaking across the ice and impacting on the mac-cover, an explosion sounding out over the lake.

* * *

"They're getting closer," Raphael proclaimed as he watched most of Bruno's squad dodge around Yuan's ice spike attack through binoculars. "Have you found Dijon yet?"

"I can barely see a thing, theres too much smoke," the second Faunus replied, one eye looking through the scope of her stolen sniper rifle. "And I think those explosions must have damaged their earpieces, I still can't reach the others."

"Can't you shoot the soldiers?"

"I'm working on it, It's a lot harder hitting moving targets!"

Raphael glared down the lenses at the fight below. The White Fang soldiers were nearly upon their teams, and only a few had been taken down. "I can speed down there, it wouldn't take me long at all. I could-"

"Don't," Rowan replied, setting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You already used your semblance once, you should save your aura for the rest of the mission. They can handle it."

The other Faunus grumbled and continued to simply watch the fight. The leader of the White Fang group, who the pair had been unable to identify yet, jumped off his snowmobile and crashed onto the ice, hefting his weapon.

"Bruno!" Raphael gasped in realization.

"He's one of the admins of the White Fang you told me about, right?" Rowan asked.

"Me and Carter were able to handle him before, but..."

"What?"

"His weapon looks different," Raphael strained his eyes through the binoculars to see, and he watched as the hammer folded into itself to form a large gun of some kind. The weapon began to glow, as if charging. "Is that...?"

"Do you think they can handle him or not? I can take the shot," Rowan put in. Then the weapon fired. They both heard the piercing sound of the shot and it's impact of the far shore all the way from the facilities roof. The streak had thankfully passed right over the other students, but it was unlikely Bruno would miss again.

"Take the shot! Shot him!"

"Hey!" a voice suddenly shouted, and the two whipped their heads around to see a squadron of White Fang soldiers running at them. Raphael saw one of them bring out a radio while the rest drew weapons.

"Don't let him shoot that weapon again!" he exclaimed as he extended the blades on his bracer, cutting through the sleeves of his White Fang uniform. Raphael leaped forwards, slamming onto one of the frontmost Faunus and propelling off him. The boy slashed out at the soldier with the radio, cutting apart the device before he could call reinforcements.

However now Raphael was at the very center of the group, and blades swung at him from all sides. Blocking one with each bracer, the boy ducked and lunged between one of the White Fang grunts legs. He kicked the soldier into a few more before dodging another swing, growling as he retaliated with his own flurry of strikes.

As he fought off more grunts another larger soldier sprinted at Raphael, a large axe in hand. The boy quickly transformed his blades into claws in anticipation to counter, but more soldiers attacked from the sides. Distracted, Raphael could barely dodge to the side as the axe swung at him. The blade glanced of the boy's mask, shattering it but leaving Raphael unscathed.

The boy tumbled backwards before righting himself, sprinting back into the fight. Jumping at the last moment, Raphael dropkicked the large grunt into a few others, flinging them off the facilities roof.

Meanwhile Rowan aimed her weapon at the battle below, sights on the back of Bruno's head. As she was about to pull the trigger however, she heard a shout behind her as one of the soldiers prepared to attack. The girl rolled to the side as a sword bounced off the tile next to her. The White Fang Faunus lunged at her again, blade raised high. Rowan spun the rifle around, blocking the attack before knocking the soldier backwards.

Another soldier quickly replaced the first, charging at Rowan with his weapon raised. The girl twirled the rifle in her hands, smashing its grip against the grunts mask. She hastily aimed the weapon back at the battle below, but Bruno's weapon had already begun to charge.

"C'mon c'mon c'mon," she murmured as she set the sights once again on Bruno. She pulled the trigger, but as the sniper fired a soldier flung from the battle behind her slammed into her side, knocking the weapon off course. Rowan saw through the sights, just briefly, the shot hit not Bruno, but instead fire at the group of students below, into Yuan's outstretched staff.

"No!" Rowan screeched as a flash of blue fired from Bruno's weapon, streaking across the ice and impacting against the rest of their teammates.

* * *

"It appears that you were correct Vito," Colin cackled, observing one of the screens lining the room. "A group of enemies are approaching from the south, on what appear to be some of our stollen vehicles."

"Bring up a closer image on the main screen, now!" the leader of the White Fang ordered. The monitor before him blinked to life as an image of the approaching invaders appeared.

"Oh ho, well isn't this a surprise," giggled Colin, looking over to the screen. "If it isn't those Beacon students from before!"

"And they've brought more of their little human friends. And a Hunter to boot."

"Ah yes, I know him! Dijon Ambero, I believe. Rather well known."

"Send Bruno to intercept them! Do not let them reach the facility!"

"He and his team are already on his way. Though I'm not sure how they'll hold against a force like that."

"Let's hope your weapon upgrades provide useful then," Vito remarked, turning back to the badger Faunus. "Now get back to that door! We've got even less time now!" Their attempts to hack the giant metal doors programming had proved futile so far. "What's taking so long?!"

"My apologies, It's on an entirely different network than the rest of the facility, someone doesn't want us to get what's inside," the mechanic replied, tapping the control panel beside him. "Thought I am getting closer, I should be finished- oh, hehehe!" The mad Faunus suddenly fell into a fit of giggles.

"What is it you idiot!" Vito roared.

"It appears that we won't have to be worrying about that Hunter anymore, unless he survived that little crash! Hehehe!"

The wolf Faunus turned back towards the screen, where a billow of smoke had enveloped the area. "Excellent, that's one problem down." He checked another screen nearby, that had just recently gone quiet. "And it seems whoever's been making that little ruse with the mines has stopped as well. I wonder..." He whipped his head back to the main screen, observing each of the panicking students. "Raphael..." he growled.

"Yes, you're right," Colin put in. "It appears our little friend has yet to join the action."

"That, or he was the first. Send a squad to the roof, now!" he barked. "I think I've worked out their little plan."

"There's already one stationed nearby, they'll be there in moments."

"Good," Vito sneered, watching Bruno fire off his first shot from his newly upgraded railgun. "Not a very accurate weapon, is it?" he observed.

"What it lacks in accuracy it makes up for in sheer power. I thought the design fit Bruno rather perfectly."

"He won't miss again," the wolf Faunus smiled as he watched the weapon charge again. The students were completely pinned down, surrounded by mines with no where else to go. "I'm almost disappointed, I would have thought they'd put up more of a fight. Tell them to bring Raphael to me if they find him, I want to be able to gloat my victory as I kill him. And record the footage too, I want to see the look on his face as he watches his friends die."

The railgun fired, sending a blue streak of energy screaming forwards and erupting against the students' cover. The ice all around the area ruptured, and a cloud of smoke funneled from the impact.

As the mist cleared, Vito smiled menacingly at his win before it faded away. "Victor- wait... What?!"

* * *

"Dijon?!" Sam gasped as the smoke around them cleared. Her brother stood before their vehicle, banged up but very much alive. The thick armor around his forearms had folded out to form a massive shield on each arm, which he had buried into the ice to block the attack.

"Well that one was close," the Hunter greeted, looking back at the shocked students. "Good defensive maneuver, way to hold out. Now, Sam, Tiffany, take out those vehicles while the smokes still up!"

The two faltered for a moment, still in shock, before the order took in. With renewed energy, Sam flung her shield at one of the passing snowmobiles, knocking off the driver and sending the vehicle spiraling into another mine. Tiffany quickly spun her axe around and fired the harpoon from its handle, embedding it into the side of another White Fang vehicle. Yanking back the weapon, Tiffany sent the snowmobile crashing into another and dismounting the remaining soldiers.

"Yuan!" Dijon turned to the blond boy, whose mouth was still agape from shock. "He's charging up for another shot, now's your chance to grab your staff!"

"Oh, uh, right! On it!" Yuan dove for his weapon, wrenching it from the ice and spinning around just as Bruno let loose a third shot. The boy pointed the staff and activated the dust crystal inside, however he had not yet changed the crystal type, and so a white shield crystal was still set in place. A blast of white energy shot from the end of the staff, morphing into a large bubble shield mid air. The railgun shot hit the shield head on, exploding on impact and blasting Bruno backwards.

"Now's our chance!" Dijon shouted. "Charge!" The students all ran forwards, firing and throwing their weapons at the remaining soldiers that had been knocked from their vehicles. Each White Fang Faunus fell one by one, until only Bruno remained, scrambling to his feet. The bear Faunus glared at the charging Hunters and Huntresses, looking around as his grunts fell. Growling, Bruno backed away and clambered back onto his vehicle, speeding away back towards the facility.

"Hahaha yeah!" Yuan cheered. "We got em' on the run!"

"Marvelous, simply marvelous!" William added.

As the rest of the students cheered, Carter turned back towards the leader of the mission, "Dijon, are you alright? How did you survive that blast?" he asked.

"It'll take more than that to take me down, but I did still lose a bit of aura. We'll need to be carful, which might be difficult considering that now the entire facility knows we're coming."

"Then we better get moving."

"Already on it," the Hunter motioned to the rest of the students. "Alright team, get back on whatever vehicles are still functional and let's get moving!" He touched a finger to the radio in his ear, activating it. "Raphael, Rowan, how are we doing up there? Hello? Damn!" He pulled the device from his ear and checked it. "Explosions must've messed with the device," he muttered as he rebooted the small radio, putting it back to his ear. Carter followed the Huntsmans lead, signaling for the other students to do the same. "Raphael, Rowan, do you copy?"

"Dijon, you're alright!?" Rowan's voice echoed in through the device, albeit a bit staticky.

"I'm fine, we're continuing our way to the facility now, what's your status?"

"They've found our position, we've been fighting them off so far, but we're running out of roof. Also... I-I'm sorry. I tried to use the sniper to help but-"

"Don't worry about it, just get to the facilities entrance as soon as we can, we'll meet you there."

"On it, on our way." The earpiece switched off as the communication dropped. The students had already re-grouped on the remaining snowmobiles, and were waiting nearby.

"Alright team," Dijon began, mounting the nearest vehicle, "move out!"

* * *

The White Fang at the facilities entrance were in a panic. While Dijon's plan had failed initially, it had succeeded in creating confusion among the ranks. Faunus were scrabbling around, trying to fortify the buildings entrance while simultaneously attempting to find or contact someone in charge. With Bruno's lieutenant missing, and the large bear Faunus himself having only just blazed by on his vehicle into the facility, no one had yet given direct orders. The situation was only made worse by the fact that Vito had already announced that there were disguised intruders, but no calls had yet come in that the intruders had been found.

"I'm telling you, we need to position the barricades so that they completely cover the door!" one masked Faunus was exclaiming as he and another hurried around the entrance. "It's the only way to keep them out for good!"

"Yeah, and keep us out too! What if we need to retreat? These are Hunters man!" the other replied franticly. "I say we use the trucks, that way we can move them if we need to run!"

"Oh really? Are you sure you're not just saying that because you're one of the intruders? You just want to be able to get past the barricade when the rest of your buddies show up, don't you!?"

"What are you talking about Daryl? It's me, Jim! We've known each other for like, years!Why would I be an intruder?"

"That's just what you want us to think, isn't it?!"

"Hey!" another masked Faunus ran over to the pair, a pair of fox ears sticking out of her hood. "Have there been any signs of the Hunters yet?"

"No, but they could be here any minute! That reminds me, help me apprehend this traitor!"

"Daryl, we've been over this!"

"He doesn't look like an intruder to me," the fox Faunus observed, looking at the soldier through the slits of her mask.

"Well of course not! He's wearing a disguise-"

"It's my uniform, I wear it every day!"

"-so how could you even tell?!"

"Because he doesn't look like me."

"He doesn't...? What do you-" the Faunus clutched his throat mid sentence as Rowan punched him in the jugular, knocking him backwards.

"What the-?!" the second soldier made a grab for his weapon, but was suddenly flattened as Raphael landed on him from above.

"That one was just cheesy," the boy remarked as he straitened himself and stepped off the unconscious soldier.

"I had to improvise, I'd like to see you do better," Rowan retorted. They paused as they heard a series of clicks and footsteps, turning their heads to the large group of White Fang soldiers that had surrounded them. The entirety of the main entrances guard stood pointing swords and guns at the pair of students.

"Uh, you think we should have waited until the others got here before we attacked and revealed ourselves?" Rowan asked.

"Probably," Raphael growled, raising his bracers and extending their blades.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands where I can see them!" one of the White Fang ordered. Behind the large group, a faint humming could be heard from the shore.

"I could probably take most of them down before they shoot, think you can handle the rest?" the boy muttered. The humming had grown increasingly louder.

"Don't bother, our rides here."

"Hey, are you two listing?!" The soldier shouted. "I said, drop your weapons and-" a squad of snowmobiles leapt into the air behind the White Fang, crashing down and scattering the grunts.

"These guys bothering you mates?" Oliver greeted as he jumped from his vehicle. The rest of OWTR and CYRS dismounted as well, dispatching any of the Faunus that the attack had missed.

"Not anymore," Rowan smiled, pulling off her hood and mask.

"Hey," Carter greeted, running up to his partner. "You got my compass?"

"Yeah, here," Raphael tossed the compass to his leader. "Thanks for letting us borrow it."

"Alright, good," Dijon began. "Everyone's here. And it looks like you two managed to prevent them from blocking the door, good work."

"I mean, we sort of did that," the fox Faunus answered uncertainly. "In a way."

"Okay team," the Hunter continued, "the basic plan's changed, but the groups have stayed the same. OWTR, you head to the anti-air turret and bring it down. It's essential that it's deactivated as soon as possible."

"You got it mate!" Oliver saluted.

"CYRS, you're with me. We're heading for the main control room and rescuing any hostages we find. And we're bringing down any and all high priority White Fang targets we might encounter."

"Awesome! Let's hope we run into Bruno, I'm itching for a rematch!" Yuan stated.

"Let's hope we run into Vito," Raphael growled, glaring at the facility. Rowan looked worryingly at the other Faunus before Dijon spoke again.

"The leaders heading this terrorist group are probably already preparing to leave, so we need to move fast. We know our objectives team, watch each others back, and stick together. The area just inside the entrance is most likely packed with White Fang, so clear the room before we separate. Now move out!" The group drew their weapons, charging for the facilities main entrance.

The large door burst open as the students rushed through, weapons aimed and pointing at every angle. However unlike when Rowan and Raphael had first gone through, the area was completely deserted. Multiple tall hallways led deeper into the structure on each side of the large entrance, while smaller ones lined the walls.

"It's empty?" Carter gaped, looking around. "Did they already evacuate?"

"Unlikely, but there's no time to check. Keep moving!" Dijon ordered, heading towards the hallway directly in front of them. "OWTR, get going!"

"Good luck mates!" Oliver called as he led the rest of his team down the large hallway on the left. "Stay safe!"

"You too!" Carter called back, but OWTR had already turned the corner and were out of sight. He turned back to face the long stretch of hallway before him, countless more passageways branching off every few meters. The facility was like a maze, clearly easy to get lost in.

The real mission had only just begun.

* * *

Bruno crashed into the facilities main control room, out of breath from running all the way up. He was immediately met with the furious face of his leader. "You absolute moron!" Vito roared.

"Th-they overran my force! Wiped out my squad!" the bear Faunus quavered. "There was nothing I could do!"

"Oh, I can think of a few things," the wolf Faunus snarled. "They've entered the facility! They're on their way right now!" He whirled around, "Colin, is that door finished?!"

"Now now, yelling won't make it go by any faster," Colin replied, still working at the door. "I've made ground, but it still might take awhile."

"Dammit! Fine... Bruno, take Eric and Azalea and set a trap. And this time, you better stand your ground until you drop dead, or I'll kill you myself!" he ordered. Bruno didn't need to be told twice, and was sprinting back out of the room as quickly as he had entered.

"it appears our little plan is falling apart, even after we've thwarted theirs," Colin cackled from his workplace.

"Shut up," Vito growled, taking a seat at the center of the control room. Their mission was far from over.

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_


	28. Chapter 23: The Ice Facility part 3

_So apparently the campsite I stayed at in Cape Cod had really bad wifi, so I wasn't able to upload this. I broke my record for length of time between chapters, I am really , really sorry, I literally just got home and put this up after unpacking. I think now I'm going to just go and sleep for... well... forever after that drive. on a brighter note, the next chapter is nearly done, so it wont be as much as a wait. evidently you have plenty of time to write as you sit in a car for so many hours. but anyways,_

_Enjoy the last part of the Ice Facility chapter!_

* * *

"Haha, holy- that was amazing!" Yuan cheered as he and the rest of the group ran through the massive hallway of the facility. "I've still got a rush from that fight! I mean, Dijon, you just showed up out of nowhere and BAM! Blocked that shot like it was nothing! How'd you do that? Did you use your semblance?"

"Uh, no, why?" the Huntsman replied, eyebrow raised.

"So you just blocked it with your sheer awesomeness and strength?! Amazing!"

"Hey!" Sam butted in. "How many times do I have to tell you to focus on the mission! Dijon, we need to come up with a plan of attack."

"We can't," the girls brother stated.

"W-what do you mean we can't?! We can not just go in guns blazing! You mean to tell me that we're going to just wing it?!"

"No, I mean we can't make a plan because we're being watched," Dijon nodded to the ceiling as they passed a video camera looking at them from above. As the students looked, they saw many more cameras ahead of them. In fact, here wasn't a section of the hallway that wasn't being monitored. Even the small side passageways had surveillance.

"They can see and hear everything we can, so it's pointless to try and make a plan."

"Well then why don't we just take out all of the surveillance in one area and talk there?" Sam retorted.

"Because they'd just send their entire force at us all at once. There's a reason we haven't been attacked yet; they're most likely massing their forces for one final defense. We need to postpone that attack as long as possible."

"Uh, question," Yuan chimed in. "Now that you've said that, how do we know they won't attack us now?"

"They haven't done anything yet, have they?" the huntsman pointed out. "But something tells me they're not going to completely ignore us, so stay on your guard."

* * *

"I don't get it," Rowan puzzled as she and the rest of OWTR turned another corner in the facility. "This place was crawling with guards just a little while ago, and now it's completely empty."

"Let's not question it," Oliver replied. "We've been lucky so far."

"Let's just hope we can keep that luck," Tiffany added.

"Still..." continued Rowan, "from the amount I saw when we were first here, they couldn't have just vanished. We should still stay on guard."

"That I can agree with," the other girl said, hand gripping the axe on her back.

"Uh, dea- I mean, Tiffany?" William spoke up, tone cautious. "Could I, uh, inquire you about something?" Oliver and Rowan exchanged glances, quickening their pace to separate from the other half of the team.

"What is it?" his partner asked.

"Well, I just, I couldn't help but notice that you seemed to act rather oddly around Dijon when we first met up with him. Like you have some sort of affection for him?"

The girls cheeks flushed as she began stammering; "W-what do you mean by that?! I did not act oddly around him! And I do not 'have some sort of affection for him'! That's ridiculous!"

"Well, I mean the evidence does suggest-"

"There is no evidence of anything! I just... I've known him for a long time, okay! Besides, that is none of your business!"

"I was merely asking to make sure of-"

"Uh, guys," Oliver interrupted, "I'm not usually the one to do this but, we're kind of on a mission." The pair looked back at each other briefly before glaring in opposite directions.

"Of course, my apologies," William stated gruffly. Tiffany only rose her nose in disdain and continued along with the others.

Oliver sighed and continued leading the way through the ever maze-like passageways. He turned as a hand touched his shoulder to meet the reassuring gaze of Rowan. He smiled a bit, turning back ahead of him and readying his weapons as the group continued closer and closer to their target.

* * *

"Have you tried any breathing exercises?" Colin asked as Vito paced back and forth along the monitors. "They're supposed to be excellent at helping one calm themselves."

"Shut up. Just shut up!" Vito roared, startling many of the White Fang in the room. "The only thing I want to hear coming out of your mouth is the news that that door has been opened!"

"Well, if you had let me finish, I would have told you that I have, in fact, completed the lock sequence." Utter silence filled the room as Vito stared blankly at the badger Faunus for a few moments. The quiet was broken as Vito stomped towards the iron door where Colin was stationed, breathing heavily through clenched teeth.

"There, what did I tell you about breathing? Isn't that better?"

"Open it," Vito said in a low growl, coming to a stop directly in front of the door. A few White Fang soldiers, including his lieutenant, walked over to stand behind them.

"Of course," the mechanic giggled, flipping a small switch. The massive iron door creaked slightly as it lifted upwards, revealing a large dark room, and the objective of the White Fangs mission at its center.

"Finally," Vito sighed, seeming to relax as he stepped into the room.

"Hehe, it's bigger than I thought," Colin commented as he and the rest of the White Fang followed him in. The other soldiers gawked at the large device.

"Colin, load it into a Bullhead and take it to the rendezvous," ordered the wolf Faunus, starring into the room for a few moments before turning back to the control room. "And that reminds me," he strode over to another door leading from the room, this one guarded by a pair of Faunus. He wrenched the door open, revealing a dozen bound and terrified scientists stuffed into the make-shift prison. "Put the hostages on a second Bullhead and take it with you. They could prove useful later."

"It seems you're back to you're usual self," the admin laughed as the soldiers began lifting the device and herding the hostages. "Though I wonder, you didn't mention accompanying me, as per our original plan."

"I'm staying behind and buying us time. Once you're gone I'll signal a retreat, and we'll leave after we take care of these intruders."

"Hehe, how exiting! Well then, I suppose I should wish you luck!" Vito only huffed in reply, returning to sit in his chair at the center of the control room. More of the guards began packing up Colin's equipment, the mechanic himself only striding beside them as they worked. He giggled a bit as he checked a tablet in his hand, turning back to his leader just before reaching the door. "It seems the hunters will be reaching Bruno soon, I wonder if our allies will be able to stop them?"

"They'll weaken and separate them, our forces can't do much more than that. A few students might make it here."

"Hehe, you almost sound hopeful. Are you hoping for a rematch with that little cheetah Faunus?"

"This time I know he's coming, no more surprises. I don't want any more lose strings after this mission, so I'm finishing this today."

"Well you certainly sound serious about the matter, I suppose I should leave you to it. Oh, hehe, and I'll leave a few of the androids as well, they should prove useful," the mechanic said, once again cackling as he left the control room.

"Sir," Vito's lieutenant walked up and stood in salute beside his leader, wolf tail swaying behind him. "Will you be fighting Raphael alone?"

"Yes, but I doubt he'll come by himself. I'll leave anyone else to you."

"Sir!" the man replied, nodding before resuming his stance. Vito smiled to himself, watching the many screens that monitored the students as they got closer and closer. The trap had been set, now all that was left to do was wait.

* * *

Dijon and CYRS turned a corner into a massively tall room, it's ceiling quite possibly reaching up to the facilities roof. Different levels of platforms lined the walls, leading to the top. Panels of metal covered the walls, and the entire room was shrouded in darkness, shadows concealing many corners and platforms.

"Alright team," Dijon began, pulling out the small holographic map device from before and activating it. "We'll be able to reach the control room in the top floor through here, we just need to get to the top, however," he deactivated the device as his eyes scanned the platforms above. "This is perfect for an ambush point. Raphael, can you see anything in those shadows?"

The cheetah Faunus stepped forwards and observed each shadowy corner and platform, his heritage allowing full vision in the dark. "I don't see anything," he reported, looking back at the others.

"Hmm, I'm still not sure. I've still got a bad feeling," he wondered aloud. "What do you think?" he asked, turning to the rest of CYRS.

"Us? But, you're the leader of the mission," Carter replied unsurely.

"Yes, but the entire reason you four were brought along was because you've dealt with these criminals. You know some of their strategies."

"Well, in that case I guess, let's see," Carter walked forwards slightly, observing the room. "I mean, they could be-"

"They're behind the panels!" Sam gasped as she spun to face the nearest wall. "Like from the other-" a shadowy figure bolted from the shadows and slammed into Sam, sending them both tumbling across the room. The girl kicked out blindly, hitting the attacker and throwing them off her. She rolled back to her feet to face the opponent, who had also stood as well.

A White Fang soldier, differently clothed than the rest and with a more intricate mask covering her whole face stood before the warrior. The monkey Faunus's tail was slightly armored, it's end tipped with a blade that she continued to wave menacingly. Sam didn't need to see her face to know the woman was smiling, staring her down.

"Sam!" Carter called, drawing his weapons and moving to help. Before he could take his first step however a noise sounded behind him, and he barely had time to turn and use his broadswords to block a small throwing axe that had launched from the shadows. Another axe spun at him, and as he blocked it a second figure jumped from the shadows and caught the weapons mid air, slashing downwards as he landed beside the boy. Carter dodged backwards, feet sliding along the floor as he turned to face the new attacker. This soldier was also dressed uniquely from the other grunts, however the color scheme of red, black, and white still held true.

The soldier turned and gasped before dodging away from the armored arm that smashed into the ground as Dijon attacked. The Faunus spun through the air as he landed a short distance away, raising his weapons to point at the huntsmen.

"Who are they, and how did I not see them?!" Raphael asked and he raised his bracers.

"Higher-ups in the White Fang, lieutenants most likely. They must have been following us and slipped into the room when we weren't looking," replied Dijon, extending the shields around his arms.

"Uh, guys," Yuan said, gulping. "I think we're about to have bigger problems." One by one all of the metal panels lining the walls popped of their hinges, each concealing a White Fang soldier who clambered out. Soon each platform above them had soldiers, and they were soon surrounded on the ground floor.

"Looks like you were right about that ambush, and about them massing their forces" Carter called as he faced the axe wielding lieutenant.

"The few times I wish I hadn't been," sighed the Huntsman.

"Men!" a voice called from above, and the group looked up to see Bruno standing at the tallest platform. "Leave no prisoners, take these humans to their graves!"

"Stay together!" Dijon ordered as the White Fang attacked. However Carter and Sam were quickly out of sight as a hoard of soldiers attacked the remaining trio, blocking them off.

Dijon slammed his shield into the nearest soldier, knocking him backwards into a group of others. However more took their place, slashing at him with swords and axes. The weapons bounced harmlessly off his raised shields, and he bashed the group backwards with a few swings of his own.

Meanwhile Raphael struck and dodged wildly, attempting to not use his semblance as he fought of more and more White Fang. Yuan was having a much more difficult time, using his sword and shield to fend off the attackers. On the platform above them, more soldiers aimed down riffles and pistols, pointing them at the group below.

"Yuan, bring up a shield!" Dijon ordered as he knocked away more Faunus.

"On it!" Yuan raised his weapon as the sword transformed into a staff, the dial spinning to a new dust crystal. But as the blade began to glow, the dial sparked and let out a grinding sound. "No no no, not again!" the boy cried.

The blade's color suddenly changed, and a bolt of lighting erupted from the weapon. The attack struck the platform above, blasting a section of it apart and sending White Fang soldiers flying.

"Okay, that wasn't too bad," the boy commented, laughing a bit. Suddenly a loud, wrenching sound echoed across the room as what remained of the platform began to fall.

"Move!" Dijon yelled as he jumped to the side. The other two dodged as well as the metal platform crashed to the ground, hitting many of the White Fang soldiers.

"Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Yuan cheered as he returned to his feet.

"We're not done yet!" the Huntsman put in, blocking a strike from another Faunus. "Keep fighting!"

* * *

As the White Fang Faunus began their charge at the rest of her team, Sam dodged to the side away from the monkey tailed lieutenant as she pounced at her. As she passed however, the Faunus spun mid air, lashing out with her bladed tail. Sam raised her shield, blocking the attack and skidding backwards. The lieutenant lashed out with her tail, the blade extending and splitting apart into a long bladed whip that scraped across Sam's shield.

The girl huffed and charged back at the Faunus, who replied with a flurry of whip lashes directed at Sam. Dodging and blocking each attack, the student slammed shield first into the lieutenant, sending her flying backwards.

Yet even as she spun through the air the Faunus managed to lash out with her weapon, the chain-whip tail barely grazing Sam's shoulder as she dodged. The lieutenant landed back perfectly on her feet, once again facing the student. She tilted her head, as if studying the girl who stood before her. The pause didn't last long as the Faunus dodged Sam's shield, rolling away as the projectile bounced back to the students hand. Sam charged once again at her opponent, but stopped dead as a bolt of lighting struck the platform above, blasting it apart.

Both girls dodged the debris that rained from above, shards if metal bouncing off Sam's raised shield. As the dust began to fade, the platform's supports started cracking as the metal began to fall. The White Fang lieutenant whipped her tail around, not at Sam, but at a metal beam above her. The whip wrapped around the beam, and she quickly pulled herself up onto the falling metal, flipping backwards onto a more stable point.

"You're not getting away that easily," Sam muttered, placing her shield across her back and running towards the collapsing section of the platform. Activating her semblance, the girl used her strength to leap upwards, grabbing onto one of the lower pieces and hoisting herself up. The metal groaned as she scrambled to the top of the platform, before finally collapsing just as her hand touched the platform floor. Sam gasped, using her semblance once again to finish climbing and jumping to another section of the platform as the other crashed to the floor.

The girl staggered upwards, turning to face the lieutenant only for the chain whip to slam into her, cutting away some of her aura and launching her backwards. Sam snatched the railing just as she fell over the edge of the platform, slamming back down against its side. Gasping as the wind was knocked out of her, the girl clenched the railing as she tried not to fall. She peaked up over the edge to see the lieutenant striding over to her, tail lashing in all directions behind the Faunus. The tail whipped at her hand holding the railing, barely missing as Sam switched grips.

Before the tail could strike again, the girl gripped the railing with both hands and heaved herself over it, dodging the whip as she landed. Sam hurriedly retrieved the shield from her back, just in time to block another volley of lashes. Rolling under another strike, the girl uppercutted, but still too slow against the agile lieutenant. As the fist passed inches from her mask, the monkey Faunus sprang backwards, cartwheeling and lashing out with her tail as she had done before.

This time Sam was ready for the attack, ducking backwards and raising her boot. As the tail struck the floor in front of her, she stomped her foot down onto it, trapping the weapon. Before the Faunus could wrench the tail out from under her, she extended the blade on her shield and slashed at the metal extension, slicing it apart and separating it from the lieutenants real tail.

The Faunus shouted in surprise and anger, looking at her tail before glaring back at the student. She gasped as she saw Sam already in her face, breath cut short as the shield slammed into her stomach, knocking her backwards into the metal wall. The lieutenant crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Breathing heavily, Sam turned away from her defeated opponent and looked out at the room from the platform, seeing her teammates fighting below. Sighing, she vaulted over the railing to join the fight herself.

* * *

The moment Bruno gave the order, the axe wielding lieutenant lunged at Carter, slashing with both weapons. The boy guarded with his broadswords, deflecting the blades easily. Carter retaliates with a few attacks of his own, pushing back the Faunus. Grunting, the lieutenant jumped backwards into the air, aiming his axes as they transformed into pistols. The weapons fired, forcing Carter to block the stream of bullets as the Faunus landed back on the ground.

As the lieutenant continued firing at the boy, a few White Fang grunts charged at Carter, swords raised to strike. The student ducked under the bullets and slashed at the nearest soldier, knocking him backwards. He rolled backwards as two more slashed at him, jumping up to block a few more shots. The soldiers charged once again, and Carter sped between them, slashing in both directions and knocking them back.

A throwing axe spun at the boy as his back was turned, ricocheting of his broadsword as he raised it in defense. Carter spun back around as the lieutenant caught the axe, throwing the second one in turn. The student gritted his teeth, swinging his blades and batting the axe away from both him and the lieutenant in an attempt to prevent him from re-catching it. As the axe bounced off his weapons however, the weapon spun in a wide arc all the way back to the Faunus's hand without fail.

"So much for that plan," Carter muttered, blocking more axe throws. The Faunus leapt forwards, bringing an axe down at Carter. The boy once again paired the strike away, spinning his second blade and pulling the trigger. The sword shot towards the lieutenant, appearing only as a blur. The Faunus used both axes and blocked the attack, but the force off the strike knocked both weapons from his hand.

The Faunus dodged backwards to get away, but Carter slashed at his legs with the flat edge of his sword, tripping the lieutenant. The Faunus slammed onto his back, and before he could stand, a sword point touched his neck.

"Give up and surrender," Carter warned, pointing both weapons at the Faunus.

"Never!" the lieutenant snarled. "The White Fang will-" a bolt of lightning struck the platform across the room, blasting away parts of the platform. Carter swiveled around in alarm, and the lieutenant took his chance. Rolling backwards, the Faunus kicked the outstretched sword from the students hand, sending it spiraling onto the floor. He stopped next to one of his axes, picking up the weapon and running at Carter.

The student lifted his remaining weapon in alarm, blocking an axe swing and countering with his own strike. The pair exchanged multiple parries and strikes as bits of the platform collapsed behind them, the entire platform eventually crashing down.

As Carter was pushed back from a particularly powerful axe swing, he placed his other hand around the swords hilt and switched to a two handed stance, returning to the fray with a devastating slash downwards. Sparks flew as the sword met the metal-grated floor, having just grazed the Faunus's mask.

Lifting his hand to touch the cut across his mask, the lieutenant growled and began circling Carter, looking for any opening in his defense. The boy followed suit, each of them circling the other. The pair raised their weapons to resume fighting, until a round shield embedded into the ground between them. They both looked up to see Sam falling above them, landing besides Carter and retrieving her shield.

"You don't mind if it step in, do you?" she asked, taking a stance facing the Faunus. The lieutenant looked from one student to the other, backing away slightly.

"Nice entrance, I see a bit of Yuan's flare has rubbed of on you." the boy replied, smiling.

"As if. Let's just do this quickly, I want to get back to the others."

Carter nodded, still smiling a bit. Without warning he rolled forwards, crouching and slashing at the lieutenants legs. The Faunus quickly blocked the attack with his axe, but left the upper half of him completely exposed for Sam to run forwards, propel off Carter's shoulder with one foot, and slam the other boot into the Faunus's mask. The soldier collapsed as Sam landed behind him, Carter running over after retrieving his second sword.

"Now why can't you do that with Yuan?" Carter asked. "We've practiced that move so many times with you two, and it's never worked that well."

"We'll worry about practice later, we need to get back to the others," Sam replied, turning back at the dwindling mass of soldiers around the rest of their team. "Let's go."

"You're right, on it, sorry," Carter agreed, leading the way towards the others.

* * *

Team OWTR sprinted up the stairs that led to the highest levels of the facility, ending on the floor just under the rooftop. A door led to the outside, Oliver quickly pushing it open to reveal a walkway lining the side of the facility, the base of the large turret at it's other end.

"Alright mates, you heard what Dijon said, we need to take that gun down as soon as possible!" OWTR's leader exclaimed as he started down the walkway with the rest of his team. "Rowan, when you were up on the roof, did you manage to see what kind of defenses they had guarding the turret?"

"No, I couldn't see from the angle me and Raphael were at," the Faunus reported.

"Well whatever it is, it's probably something big," Tiffany put in. "That's the only thing stopping us from getting a Bullhead in here with reinforcements."

"Then we'd best deactivate it with haste," William added.

"Exactly! Besides, I think the four of us can handle pretty much anything they can throw at us," said Oliver as they reached the end of the walkway. Another door led into the platform where the turret was stationed. Up close, the weapon was massive, clearly able to take down anything that flew too close. "Now let's do this team! Tiffany, would you like to do the honers?"

"Gladly," the girl replied, raising her axe and smashing down the door. OWTR ran into the room, weapons raised and pointed at all angles. Nothing moved in the shadowy room.

"It appears that no one is here," William whispered.

"No, they're all around us," Rowan quavered, Faunus eyes gazing at each soldier hidden by the darkness. Her gaze stopped at a point directly in front of them, widening in surprise and terror. "Is that...? How-"

"Ah, so it seems there are more than one traitorous little Faunus in Beacon," a voice echoed, it's sound both beautiful and terrifying. Footsteps sounded across the room, along with a faint slithering, both getting closer by the minute.

"Oliver, now might be a really good time to turn on the lights," Tiffany muttered, weapon raised and pointed at the sound.

"Right right, got it," the boy replied as he spun the barrel of his boomerang to light dust.

"Please, allow me," the voice said, snapping their fingers. There was a sound of a switch being flipped, and suddenly ceiling lamps lit all around the room, bathing it in light. The three human students gasped at the sight before them, none of OWTR having seen anything like it before.

A woman, a lion Faunus in particular, stood before them dressed in the uniform of a White Fang admin. As per usual for the White Fang, she was attired with a mask and in the colors of red, black, and white, the same color scheme of the collection of Grimm behind her. Half a dozen Ursi and Beowolves each stood snarling at the students, while another of each stood further up, almost next to the woman. A large King Taijitu had slithered up beside her as well, tongue flicking in and out of its mouth as it eyed the students.

"Now that we can all see a bit better, allow me to introduce my sweet little darlings," the woman continued. The students only stood in shock at the sight, even a few of the White Fang guards seemed uneasy at the amount of Grimm in the large room. "This is Plum and Peanut," the woman said, hand touching the Ursa and Beowolf respectively. "And this," her hand grazed the top of the hissing King Taijitu's head, "is Buttercup. She's beautiful, isn't she? It's so sad though, not so long ago, a few of your little Beacon friends killed her brother at the other facility. It was just horrible, she was depressed for weeks."

Suddenly Tiffany finally managed to stutter something out in a low whisper that only their team could hear; "Sh-she can control Grimm... just like you Will..."

Realization dawned in Williams eyes, so much so that the shock and fear seemed to melt from him. "Ah, so you're Andrea, the Grimm tamer I've heard so much about," he said, stepping forwards.

The lion tailed admin cocked her head, gazing at the boy. "Me? Really? Oh I'm flattered! And how is it that you've heard so much about me?"

"Sorry miss," Oliver interrupted, "but we don't have time to talk. I'll ask that you surrender only once."

Andrea laughed, causing the snake Grimm beside her to twitch away for a moment. "Oh ho, surrender? That's adorable! I think you're the ones who should be considering surrender." The Grimm from behind the woman prowled forwards to surround the students, growling and snarling. The White Fang soldiers joined them, many of them keeping their distance from the Grimm.

"Now Vito did say that even if there were Faunus among you, we must kill you," continued Andrea, turning towards Rowan. "But something about you tells me that you're special. Like you've got some sort of... secret." Rowan's eyes widened, glancing frantically to her teammates around her. "Am I right? Oh I think I am! I can tell these things, you might not guess it, but I am a people person. So what do you say? Care to join the White Fang? I promise to make it worth your while."

Rowan's response was to raise her pistol and fire. But before the bullet could even hit Andrea, the King Taijitu swiveled its head to block the bullet, protecting the Faunus.

"There's your answer," Rowan growled. The rest of her team stared at her for a moment, before a laugh from Andrea took their attention once again.

"Well aren't you a feisty one! That's to bad, I guess you'll have to make do as a snack for my darlings then," she flicked her hand, and the Grimm began closing in on the students. "Though there is one more thing I'd like to know before you all die," she said, turning to William. "You never did say how you knew about me. Did one of your little friends from that other team tell you?"

"Why yes, you're quite right. Allow me to show you why!" he exclaimed, raising his hand at the Beowolf beside Andrea. The Grimms eyes went blank, and the creature turned back to start growling at the lion Faunus.

The woman tilted her head, staring first at the Grimm and then at the boy controlling it. "Well well, that is interesting, now isn't it." The Beowolf pounced, fangs open in a wide roar as lunged at its former master. Andrea raised her hand a gave a tiny flick. The Beowolf tumbled to the floor, shivering all over before returning to its feet to stand beside the woman. The Grimm growled once again, this time at William as it prowled forwards. "Apologies, but you won't be taking Peanut away from me that easily."

William continued to point his hand at the creature, activating his semblance in an attempt to control it to no avail. The Grimm didn't even twitch as it continued forwards.

"It seems as if Carter was right in assuming she had more strength and skill than I do," the writer said, lowering his hand and backing away.

"My my, what an interesting group you are, it's almost a shame to see you go. Oh well. Goodbye," she gave a little wave to the students as the Grimm continued to close in around them, backing them against the wall.

"Any ideas?" Tiffany asked as she tried to keep track of three different Ursi in front of her at once.

"Working on it," Oliver replied, mind racing.

"If we can distract or disorient Andrea, than we may be able to break her connection with the Grimm," William interjected.

"Yeah, only problem is that we'll have to kill every Grimm just to get close to her, but that sort of defeats the whole purpose," Rowan replied slyly.

"I've got it!" OWTR's leader exclaimed. "Gravity hook!"

"At a time like this? Are you kidding?" Tiffany asked disbelievingly.

"Just do it, now!" Oliver ordered as the Grimm and White Fang lunged. Tiffany sighed and swung her axe in a massive arc around the team, knocking away the immediate attackers. Slamming her weapon back into the ground, she shot her harpoon towards the center of the rooms ceiling, embedding it into the metal. The entirety of OWTR jumped onto the weapon and pointed their weapons downwards, each loaded with gravity dust rounds. Before the Grimm could attack once again, they all fired simultaneously as Tiffany pulled back on the lever on her axe, drawing the weapon back towards the projectile and launching them into the air.

The White Fang soldiers were blasted backwards along with a few Grimm as OWTR shot both forwards and upwards, over all the Grimm and Andrea. However the King Taijitu reared its head, mouth agape directly in the path they were following.

"Rowan, jump!" Oliver ordered, and he and his partner leapt from the weapon as it hit the monster. The force of the impact detached the harpoon from the ceiling, and Tiffany and William crashed into the ground on top of the snake Grimms head. As it slammed into the ground the King Taijitu snapped at the pair, but Tiffany brought the head of the axe down to hold the creature in place. William spun his musket around, aiming and firing multiple rounds into the monsters head until it stopped struggling and it was reduced to a smoking mess.

Meanwhile the creatures second head was being dispatched by Oliver and Rowan, and before the rest of the Grimm could reach the students, the King Taijitu was slowly dissipating at OWTR's feet.

"One down, fourteen to go," Oliver said, smiling as he spun his boomerangs. The other students raised their weapons as well, charging at the mass of Grimm alongside their leader.

Oliver dodged under a claw of a Beowolf, firing into the creatures chest with both weapons. As the Grimm collapsed Rowan propelled off the creatures body, firing downwards and downing two more creatures. An Ursa charged at Tiffany, who swung her axe around just as the Grimm got close, embedding the axe into its skull. Wrenching the weapon free, she knocked the smoking body onto a nearby Beowolf, crushing it. William spun mid-place, striking out with his halberd at anything that got close, defeating another pair of monsters.

Andrea stood watching the battle a short distance away, scowling beneath her mask as she pet the Beowolf and Ursa beside her. "That's a pity, we'll have to get you new siblings all over again, oh well." Behind her the remaining White Fang soldiers still conscious struggled to their feet, retrieving their weapons. "Glad to see some of you finally wanting to join the battle. Now get over there and fight, would you?" The soldiers nodded, charging head first into the fray, many of them getting knocked down almost immediately.

"It seems Beacon students certainly live up to their reputation. This is going to be a long day," she sighed, stroking her Beowolf behind the ear.

* * *

"I see them! I see Sam and Carter!" Yuan exclaimed as he fought off another White Fang grunt. Dijon and Raphael turned to try and see the pair whilst still fighting off Faunus, before Dijon looked strait up as a loud noise caught his attention. Bruno was looking down at the team from the highest platform, aiming his rail gun at the students.

"Yuan, get a shield up now!" he ordered.

The boy gasped as he saw the weapon charging as well, quickly spinning the dial on his staff. "Alright, c'mon, please work. Please work!" he muttered as he held up the now glowing weapon. The rail gun fired just as a white shield expanded upwards, blocking the shot and causing a massive explosion in the upper platforms of the room. "Haha, yeah! Alright, it's payback time!" and he activated another crystal in his weapon, spinning it around him as a heavy wind began to blow.

"Yuan, wait!" the huntsman called as a small tornado formed beneath the mage, lifting him upwards.

"Don't worry, I've got this!" Yuan assured, wobbling a bit on the wind. The small tornado shot upwards as the student raised his staff, directly towards Bruno. Panicking as he approached, the bear Faunus fired off another shot at him, missing and hitting one of the platforms below. As Yuan reached the admins platform he jumped off the tornado, swinging his staff around and sending the spiral of wind spiraling at Bruno. The Faunus was blasted backwards into the wall, letting out a roar of frustration.

The Faunus transformed his weapon back into a hammer and charged as Yuan raised his shield and staff in defense. A blast of fire erupted from the weapon as Bruno got close, forcing him to cover his face and swing blindly. The strike connected, slamming into Yuan's shield with enough force to throw him off the platform into open air.

A hand grabbed the boys collar before he could fall, pulling Yuan back. Dijon stood next to him, eyes on Bruno. "You alright?" the huntsman asked.

"Uh, yeah, thanks," Yuan said, straitening himself and raising his weapons once again. Dijon stope him with armored arm as he stepped forwards.

"I've got this, you and the rest of CYRS move on ahead, they'll be here any moment now." As if on cue, Yuan's remaining teammates clambered onto the platform, out of breath from up the stairs.

"You... idiot..." was the only thing Sam could gasp out as she walked over to the group. Meanwhile Bruno growled, raising his weapon to charge once again.

"Get going you four, I'll catch up," Dijon ordered, extending the shields on his arms.

"Are you sure?" Carter asked, just as Bruno charged. Dijon only had to raise his shield slightly as the hammer completely bounced off, unbalancing the Faunus. Faster than any of them could see the huntsman slammed his other shield into the admins chest, flinging him backwards into the wall and leaving a massive dent.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he replied, smiling back at the students. "Now go!"

The students nodded, charging past him through the door leading to the tallest floor in the facility. As soon as they passed through however, the door slammed closed behind them.

"Shoot, they locked us apart!" Yuan cursed as he spun around.

"Don't worry about it, Dijon can break through if he needs to," Sam replied, still running. "Keep going!" the mage sighed, continuing forwards with the rest if CYRS's as they neared the facilities main control room.

* * *

Only a few Grimm and White Fang soldiers remained, yet it was still enough to keep OWTR on their toes as they fought. Rowan dodge away as an Ursa lunged at her, Tiffany charging in from behind to slam her axe into the creatures head. A trio of White Fang raised their riffles and fired at the warrior, only to be blocked by Oliver as he threw both his weapons. The boomerangs blocked the bullets as they flew through the air, impacting against the soldiers and knocking them back. As he was unarmed he spun around when a Beowolf lunged at him, only to be saved by the tip of Williams halberd as it slashed away the Grimm.

"Well, this has been rather easier than I thought!" William said, smiling and spinning his weapon. "I might even say that-" a claw swept at him mid-sentence, knocking him backwards before he could block. The boy was launched out of the fray, landing a short distance from the battle.

William quickly collected himself, gripping his weapon to return to the battle, before a pair of footsteps behind him caused him to freeze. "It seems we meet again," he greeted.

"So formal, that must get boring after while," Andrea observed, giggling a bit. Beside her walked her personal Ursa and Beowolf as always.

"Your forces are being quickly dispatched, soon only you shall be left. Perhaps now you should consider surrendering."

"Oh, that's just as adorable as when your little friend said it! I'll admit, you impressed me a bit before, but there's so much you still don't know," she said in her sickly sweet voice. "Now, let me show you what someone of my caliber can do," and she raised her hand and pointed it at the Ursa beside her. The creature twitched, collapsing to the floor as tremors shook its entire body. The Grimm began growing, white spikes sprouting from it's back along with additional armor along its legs. The Ursa quickly transformed into an Ursa Major, it's size doubling in a matter of moments. The creature returned to its feet as the transformation ended, roaring at the student before it.

William backed away, mouth agape in shock as the Grimm prowled forwards, all while Andrea giggled again and took a seat on the Beowolf beside her. The writer raised his weapon to point at the Ursa, but the creature swung forwards faster than William had ever seen a Grimm move, smacking the weapon from his hand. The Grimm slashed again, William dodging backwards onto the ground and crawling away backwards as fast as he could, but not as fast as the Grimm.

A glowing boomerang spun into view and and smashed against the creatures head, encasing it in a ball of ice before bouncing back to Oliver as he ran forwards. The Ursa reared upwards, arms clawing at the ice covering its face. Tiffany jumped from behind William, slashing her axe across the Grimms chest. The Ursa Major bellowed loudly enough to shatter the ice around it, slamming its claws back to the ground just as Tiffany dodged.

"Sorry we're late, we just had to finish up with the rest of your little pets," Oliver greeted, spinning his weapons as he faced the woman. Andrea growled as she turned to see the rest of the Grimm's bodies smoking on the other side of the room, the remainder of the soldiers defeated as well. As she looked, she saw a glint of something above her, and the Beowolf she was riding evaded to the side as Rowan slammed onto the ground were it had just been. The girl quickly fired multiple rounds at the woman, who drew her own weapon an flicked the whip around her, deflecting the bullets. She transformed the whip into a long rifle and fired her own shot at the girl, who flipped backwards back to the rest of her team.

"You see my dear, did I not say that only you would be left?" William began, retrieving his weapon as the Ursa Major growled at him. "It would appear that you have a third opportunity to surrender. I suggest you take it."

The woman was silent for a few moments, weapon trained on the students and the Beowolf beneath her snarling. Before anyone could attack, she suddenly tilted her head and touched her hand to her ear, weapon still pointed at the students. More moments passed, the students not daring to attack with both the weapon and the angry Ursa pointed at them.

Andrea lifted her hand from the side of her head, lowering her weapon as well to the students confusion. "I underestimated you four. Though I'll admit, you put on quite a show. I look forwards to seeing you again. Especially you two," she eyed Rowan and William from behind her mask. "But for now, ta-ta!" and she snapped her fingers. The Ursa Major roared, swiping its claw in a wide arc and forcing the students to jump backwards. Before they could retaliate, the Grimm ran to the opposite wall, ripping the metal apart and revealing the snowy outside. The students charged forwards as the Ursa leapt from the building, followed closely by Andrea on her Beowolf.

As OWTR reached the opening, a Bullhead lifted upwards into view, carrying both Andrea and the two Grimm. The woman waved at the students as the aircraft flew off, sending up a gust of wind around them.

Tiffany aimed her axe as the aircraft left, pointing the harpoon at one of the engines. A hand stopped her though before she could fire. "Don't," Oliver intervened. "We need to take this turret down as soon as possible. Besides, something tells me we'll be seeing her again."

The girl huffed as she lowered her weapon, the Bullhead quickly flying out of sight. The team turned back to the room, which held the controls for the turret just above them. Monitors and lights flashed across the consoles, along with a variety of switches and buttons.

"All this for one turret?" Rowan asked, walking up to the devices. "How do we turn it off?"

"I can think of a few ways," Tiffany replied, raising her axe and smashing it into the metal, splitting a section of it. The students waited, but the rest of the machine continued working normally.

"Or we could just try the off switch," Oliver put in, pressing a button on one of the dashboards. The entire line of screens went blank, and the room shook slightly as the turret above shut down.

"Well sure, if you wanted to go the obvious method," the warrior mumbled.

Oliver touched a finger to his earpiece, connecting with the other team of the mission. "Mission complete guys, let's tell the others then go see if we can help," he said, walking towards the rooms entrance.

* * *

"Was that Oliver?" Sam asked as Carter took his hand from the radio in his ear.

"Yes, they've taken down the turret at the other end of the facility. Now all that's left is to rescue any hostages and take down the rest of the White Fang leaders. Unless you think it was just Bruno and those lieutenants?"

"No," Raphael answered, glaring ahead of them as they continued through the structure. "Vito's here. I know he is."

"Well we're about to find out one way or another," Yuan put in as they stopped in front of a large door, labeled; "Control Room".

"There's no guards," Sam observed, raising her weapon.

"Think it's a trap?" Yuan asked.

"Probably," Carter replied, raising his weapons as well.

"I don't care. We're doing this, now." Raphael kicked the door open, extending the blades on his bracers and rolling into the room. Monitors and screens lined and filled the room, and at the center of it all sat Vito in his chair.

"Well, well, well, I would say it's a surprise to see you Raphael, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't been expecting you," the leader of the White Fang greeted as the rest of CYRS ran into the room.

"Give up Vito, your forces are gone, the turret's down, and we've nearly captured the entire facility," Carter stated, pointing his weapon across the room at the Faunus. "You've failed."

"Actually, it's quite the contrary," Vito purred, a smile forming at his lips. "My mission is over. I got what I came for," he motioned to an open door on the other side of the room, behind which was a large empty space. "The only thing left to do is to deal with you and the rest of your little team of invaders. Oh, and to transport the hostages, you just missed them."

Carter turned to Sam and Yuan, still training his weapon on Vito. "You two go and stop them before they leave, we can't let them take those people. Raphael and I will deal with him." the pair nodded and moved to leave, but stopped as Vito stood.

"None of you are going anywhere," he said, snapping his fingers. Suddenly heavy glass walls extended from the ceiling towards the ground. Raphael growled and launched himself at Vito, evading a wall as it crashed down behind him. Carter dodged another wall as it separated him from Yuan and Sam. "Amazing, isn't it?" Vito began, voice echoing from speakers above. "Colin set this trap, and I feel that it's perfect for our particular little... situation. Don't worry about breaking the glass by the way, it's some of the strongest there is in Remnant. Now, onto the real fun."

Carter looked around, seeing that the room had been divided into thirds. Sam and Yuan were in the section by the door, he was in the next section over, and Raphael was trapped int the final and largest section with Vito. Suddenly doors slid open in the first two sections, and the students turned to see who would be facing them.

"Androids!" Yuan exclaimed as multiple droids ran into the room at him and Sam. They both used their shields to block the robots's first attacks, retaliating with their own.

"Guys!" Carter called through the glass, catching his teammates's attention. "Go after those hostages!"

"Right, you got it!" Yuan called back, him and Sam backing out of the room as more AK Droids attacked. Carter turned back to his own section as he heard a scraping sound against the metal floor, a White Fang soldier emerging from the door as it closed behind him. The wolf tailed lieutenant was armed with a pair of rapiers, each scraping against the metal grated floor as he walked. Carter transformed his weapons into the dual broadswords, raising them to defend himself.

"Greetings human," the Faunus spoke from behind his mask. "I am Don Rojo, lieutenant to commander Vito of the White Fang. You have dared to get in the way of our goals, and I have been chosen to put you down," he raised his weapons as well, taking a fighting stance.

"Well then," Carter replied, unsure of the Faunus's introduction but smiling all the same. "let's get started."

* * *

"What is this, the third time we've fought?" Vito asked as he and Raphael circled each other inside their own enclosed off section. Raphael saw Sam and Yuan leave the room being chased by androids, and Carter engage with another White Fang soldier. "Looks like it's just you and me once again," continued the wolf Faunus. "But this time, oh this time's going to be very different than the last."

"Yes, it is!" Raphael snarled, lunging forwards with his bracers outstretched. A glint appeared in Vito's eyes, and out of nowhere a strike hit the boy's bracers, knocking them back. Vito dashed forwards, extending his clawed gloves and slashing at Raphael. The cheetah Faunus was thrown to the side, smashing against the glass and falling to the floor. Vito had been right, the glass didn't even crack from the impact.

"Oh that's right, I haven't told you about my semblance yet, have I?" Vito said, sneering as he walked over to stand over Raphael. "It's a rather nifty ability that allows me to strike without ever moving. I can't use it all the time obviously, and I'm sorry I wasn't able to use it before on you, I just never got the chance. However now, why we've got all the time in the world!"

"I'll... never..." Raphael growled as he attempted to lift himself off the ground. Vito's boot stepped on his back and pushed him back to the floor.

"I'm going to kill you Raphael, once and for all. I'm putting an end to this little story you and I have made together."

"No!" the boy roared, retracting the blades on his bracers and extending the gun on each. Before Vito could react, he aimed the guns to the floor and fired, propelling himself upwards and sending the wolf Faunus careening off him. He spun and swung the barrel of his weapon at Vito's head, only for it to be caught by the mans metal-coated hand. Gritting his teeth, Raphael fired the weapon, causing the man to clutch his ear as the sound reverberated in it.

Vito growled as his eyes glinted again, and Raphael tried to dodge the invisible strike to no avail. The blow hit his shoulder, knocking him back as the wolf Faunus raise both his armored forearms. Small gun barrels flipped out from their sides, firing at Raphael. The boy dodged the bullets using his semblance, blurring forwards at the man with his weapons raised. As he got up close and pointed the gun at his neck, Vito's eyes glinted again and an invisible strike slashed into Raphael.

The student spiraled across the room, hitting the far wall and slumping to the floor. Vito rubbed his neck, folding the guns back into his weapon and striding forwards. He extended the small claw-like blades from his diggers as he approached the boy, a smirk on his scarred face.

* * *

Carter ducked beneath a rapier swipe as the lieutenant attacked vigorously, the speed of his weapons almost a blur. The tip of his weapons were nearly invisible as he struck again, yet each blow was skillfully blocked by the student as they fought. Te lieutenant gave Carter no chance to fight back, yet a stalemate had occurred as he couldn't break through the boy's defenses either.

"I'll admit child, you've certainly proven your skill," the Faunus said as he withdrew from his assault and faced the student, rapiers at the ready. "Beacon truly lives up to its name."

Carter kept his weapons raised as well, eyes locked with the slits of the soldiers mask yet thankful for the brief pause. "That, and I spar with someone nearly every day who's just as offensive as you and twice as fast."

The lieutenant rumbled and sprang back into action, stabbing his weapon towards the boy's face. Carter swept his broadsword under it, knocking the weapon upwards. He took the opportunity to attack and swung his second blade at the Faunus's side. Inches from his armor the blade was paired away by the mans second rapier, but the force of the strike still pushed him back.

In the slight pause Carter caught something from the corner of his eye, an turned to see Raphael through the glass, crumpled against the far wall and Vito advancing on him. His eyes widened as he opened his mouth to call to his friend, until a rapier swing rapidly into view. Panicking, the boy activated his semblance, and the blade bounced off his neck as he glowed green.

The deflection knocked the lieutenant off balance, and Carter deactivated his semblance and swung both blades at the man. The attack hit as the lieutenant fumbled to block, knocking him backwards and into one of the control rooms many consoles.

"You should focus on your fight with me boy," the Faunus said, coughing as he pulled himself of the wrecked device. He dodged to the side as a broadsword lodged into the dashboard, it's thrower charging as well. The lieutenant grinned and swung each rapier at Carter from a different direction as he neared, taking advantage of the fact his opponent only had one blade. Yet as the student got close, the Faunus faltered when he saw the look of anger that had taken over Carter. As the boy reached him Carter switched from running to sliding with his feet, activating his semblance at the same time. The blades ricocheted off the statue-like student, before he slammed, still sliding, into the Faunus.

Te force of the impact sent both spiraling over the console. As he passed, Carter deactivated his semblance and wrenched his weapon from the machine. The act slowed him, and he landed while the Faunus was still flying above him. Instantly, the boy swing both broadswords and fired from their hilts, aiming for the Faunus. Gasping, the lieutenant raised his rapiers mid air, swiftly blocking the strike as he had done before. Yet also as before, the force of the impact still knocked him back, directly up into the ceiling. The lieutenant tumbled to the floor, both his weapons embedding into the metal floor beside him.

"How's that for focus," Carter retorted, breathing heavily from the maneuver. Weapons still raised, he turned away from the unconscious lieutenant and back towards his partners fight.

* * *

"You know Raphael, I will admit, you've certainly impressed me," Vito said, stopping a short distance from the barely conscious student. "I've had quite a few enemies in my lifetime, and out of all of them, you're the only one to have evaded me twice in a row. And you were the only ever one to..." he turned away from the boy as he raised one of his metal-gloved hands, touching the scar across his eye.

The moment the Wolf Faunus had turned away, Raphael lifted his head and slowly sat up into a crouching position. He raised his bracer as he stood, blade pointed at Vito as he reared to strike. "But there is one record that even you haven't broken," Vito continued, a sneer crossing his face. "My semblance, has never missed." Raphael lunged, only for the invisible force to slash against him again, diminishing his remaining aura and knocking him to the floor.

Raphael rolled onto his back, gasping in pain from being winded by the blow. A boot pressed against his chest, and this time he was unable to muster the strength to push Vito off. "You're not a very good listener, are you Raphael?" the White Fang leader asked, bending down closer to the boy. "Now if you actually were, and could take orders, you'd be perfect. I said it before, a little training, and you would have made an excellent soldier in the White Fang. But that's not really an option now, is it? I don't think many of the members would be happy to accept you, considering the damage you've done. But that all ends today," he raised his had as blades extended from each finger, each pointing at the trapped Faunus.

A ringing sound made the Faunus pause, which was followed by a second, then more quickly a third. He looked up as the sounds became increasingly faster, eyes widening at the sight.

Carter stood just on the other side of the glass separating the sections, continually firing front the hilt of both his weapons and slamming the broadswords into the glass. Shock overtook Vito as a few small cracks began spreading through the barrier.

"That's reinforced glass! Colin said it was unbreakable!" Vito quavered. "What kind of weapons are those?!" A chuckle sounded from below him, and he looked down to see Raphael smirking back. Growling, the wolf Faunus raised his glove once again to slash at the boy's neck, just as the glass shattered. A sword launched at the pair, Vito jumping back as it embedded into the metal beside Raphael. Carter hurried over, wrenching the sword from the floor and standing to guard Raphael from the White Fang leader.

"Ah, I remember you," the wolf Faunus said, flexing his hands. "You're the same human from before, at the other facility. Let me guess, you're Raphael's 'partner', am I right? That's twice now you've gotten in my way. Do you seriously believe you can defeat me, and protect your friend at the same time?" he asked, a smile returning to him. A look of worry crossed Carter's face, but he still raised his weapons to fight.

"Maybe not, but I can," a voice spoke, and Dijon stepped through the hole in the glass Carter had made. Vito's smile vanished as he caught sight of the Huntsman, wolf ears folding back on his head in fear. "Vito of the White Fang, you have lead multiple acts of terrorism, murder, thievery, and civil disruption. I'll give you the option to surrender and stand trial for your crimes, or you could just not surrender and we'll skip the trial, and I'll throw you in prison myself. That's also the option were I beat you till you're unconscious. Either way, there's a pretty big chance you're going to jail," Dijon said, tone laid back yet still threatening.

The wolf Faunus turned from Carter to Dijon, teeth gritted in a growl as he slowly backed away. Before either could stop him, he retracted his weapons and pressed a button on a nearby console. Dijon charged forwards as a metal door opened behind the Faunus. Vito slipped behind it just as the door slammed shut, a ringing sound echoing over the room when Dijon slammed his shield into the hidden door to no avail.

"Damn, I didn't think the coward had any more tricks ups his sleeve," the huntsman muttered. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," Carter sighed, letting his weapons fall to his side. Suddenly a thought occurred, and he wheeled around towards his parter. "Raph!" The Faunus lay on the metal grated floor, unmoving.

Dijon quickly knelt next to the Faunus, checking his pulse. "He's unconscious, but alive. Lost all his aura too, good thing you broke through that glass in time." Carter nodded, looking down at his partner. "Where are the others?" Dijon continued.

"That's right! They went after the hostages! I'll go and-"

"No, you stay here with Raphael," the Huntsman interjected. "I'll go and see if I can help. I'll try and look for where that secret door leads to as well and hopefully stop Vito. They've already signaled a retreat throughout the facility, but there could still be some soldiers lingering around that might come here, so stay on your guard-" a noise behind them caught their attention, but when they looked, they saw only the empty room.

"The lieutenant! He's gone!" Carter exclaimed, looking to where the White Fang soldier had been laying.

"Must've slipped away when we went looking," Dijon observed. "Same thing happened with the Faunus Sam fought, she's long gone as well. Bruno escaped too, but just barely. We didn't lose everyone though. That axe wielding lieutenant you fought was still out cold when I finished with Bruno, I tied him up and tucked him somewhere safe for questioning later before I came here. But anyways," Dijon stood and ran to the door, looking back before leaving. "Like I said, stay on your guard. We'll meet back up when reinforcers arrive," and he left. Carter sighed, transforming one of his weapons into a rifle and taking a position to guard the control room door.

* * *

"Quit fussing and move!" a white fang soldier ordered as he shoved one of the hostages towards a parked Bullhead. He and a few other soldiers were shepherding the captured facility workers on top of a large landing pad on the side of the building where multiple aircraft were stationed. Many of the vehicles were filling with White Fang as the Faunus fled from the facility after hearing the signal to retreat. A few had even taken of and had left, including the one holding Colin and the device.

A loud banging sound echoed from towards the building, and many of the soldiers turned towards the locked metal door leading to the landing pad. The door suddenly crumpled like paper as Sam broke her way through, Yuan close behind. Upon sight panic swept through White Fang Faunus, many of which had just recently fled from the other battle and knew the student's strength firsthand. Multiple Bullheads lifted off the ground, a few trailing extra soldiers desperate to escape.

"There!" Sam called, pointing towards the bullhead being loaded with hostages. She and her partner charged towards the aircraft, knocking away any Faunus that got in their way.

"They're heading this way! We've got to get out of here!" one of the soldiers said, panicking.

"Jim! Don't you have any backbone?! We've still got prisoners to load onto his ship!" another exclaimed, facing his comrade.

"Just leave them Daryl, it's not worth it!" the first cried, turning to the cockpit of the aircraft. "Get us out of here!"

"Dagnabit! Why I outta-" he was cut short as a circular shield slammed into the back of his head, knocking him out.

"Daryl nooooooo!" the other Faunus yelled. Upon seeing the soldier collapse, the pilot of the aircraft panicked as well, lifting the Bullhead off the ground. Many of the hostages screamed, as the side doors were still wide open. The ones that had yet to board scurried to the nearest cover, the White Fang holding them having already run.

"I've got it!" Yuan exclaimed, pointing his staff at the aircraft.

"Don't, you could hurt one of the hostages!" Sam barked as she pushed away his weapon. The vehicles doors closed as it prepared to blast off, until a harpoon shot and embedded into its tail.

Sam and Yuan whirled around to see OWTR charging in beside them. Tiffany wrenched back her weapon as her axes harpoon began to draw back the aircraft. Before the pilot could put the Bullhead to full throttle, Rowan and William fired their weapons at the two engines, damaging them as the vehicle began to dip. Oliver launched both boomerangs as they glowed with dust, striking the landing pad as the vehicle fell from the air and encasing it in ice, saving it from crashing.

"That was awesome!" Yuan cheered as he and the rest of the students ran towards the downed Bullhead.

"We need to get those civilians out of there!" Oliver called as they ran.

"We've got that one, can't let you guys have all the fun!" the boy replied as they reached the Bullhead. Yuan raised his staff as it began to glow, launching a gout of fire at the ice around the door. Carful not to hit the metal itself, the boy melted away most of the ice around it. Afterwards, Sam jumped up and used her semblance to rip the hatch open, looking inside.

"Is anyone hurt?" she asked as she helped a few workers from the aircraft. She looked over to the cockpit to see the remaining White Fang soldiers knocked out from the crash, but thankfully only a few of the civilians had been hurt.

All the while OWTR helped the remaining hostages and stood guard against any other possible attacks. Most of the soldiers were already gone however, and the remainder were lifting off the ground in the last few Bullheads.

"Good work team," Oliver said, grinning to the rest of the students as the last of the hostages were rescued and un-bound.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," someone added, and they turned to see Dijon striding up to the group. "Very good work indeed. I'll admit, I wasn't sure when I heard all the rumors about your year, but I'm glad to see they were true."

"Did you hear that! Dijon Ambero thinks I'm awesome!" Yuan whispered to William.

"Uh, I'm not sure that's quite what he said," replied the writer uncertainly.

"Where are Carter and Raphael?" Oliver asked.

"Raphael got pretty banged up, so I left Carter with him to come help. Doesn't look like you guys needed it though. I'd say this mission was a victory. Most of the White Fang leadership escaped and it looks like they got what they came for, but we did managed to save the hostages and re-take the facility. Plus you took out that turret, so we'll be able to get reinforcements to secure the rest of the building. Speaking of which, they should be getting here just about... now."

The students looked up as they heard a low rumbling, and saw a few airships and multiple smaller aircraft emerge from the clouds towards the facility.

"Are those troops from Atlas?" Rowan asked in wonder as the vehicles descended.

"The city is the closest light of civilization, plus I wanted some of the best. Pretty awesome, right?"

"Yeah it is!" Yuan cheered, waving his staff in the air. The weapon sparked, sending a small bolt of electricity into the ground next to his partner.

"You idiot!" Sam yelled, jumping from the shock. Yuan yelped as his partner advanced on him, exclaiming apologies frantically.

"Look, it's the others!" Yuan cried as he backed away.

"Don't try and distract me, and stand still!" the girl replied angrily.

"No really, look!" the students turned and saw Carter supporting Raphael over too them, both looking as exhausted as the rest of them.

"Raphael!" Rowan exclaimed in alarm at the sight of the other Faunus's state. The students ran over to the pair, including Dijon. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," the boy muttered, clutching his side. "But Vito got away."

"Yes, unfortunately he did," the Huntsman agreed. "I wasn't able to find where he ran off too, and odds are he's long gone by now. Regardless, we should celebrate! I'd call today a victory."

"I wouldn't..." Raphael muttered. The Atlas aircraft landed along the air pad besides them, soldiers poring out to tend to the hostages and secure the area.

"I need to go speak with the commander, see if I can't schedule a meeting with general Ironwood and up the security in the surrounding area just in case the White Fang stick around," Dijon announced. "You eight take a break and let the soldiers finish up, you've earned it," and he stepped away towards one of the aircraft.

"So OWTR," Sam began, turning to the other team. "What'd you think of your first mission?"

"Exhausting," Tiffany complained.

"Tiring," Rowan agreed.

"Quite interesting indeed," added William.

"I had a blast!" Oliver exclaimed, grinning. "Can't wait for the next one!"

"Yeah, no." Tiffany replied, yawning as she set her weapon down beside her. "I'll be too busy sleeping." Many of the other students nodded in agreement.

"So what happened with you guys?" Yuan asked. "Fight anyone interesting?" OWTR looked to each other, unsure of where to begin.

"You could say that," Rowan began, before Oliver stepped in.

"Right, so here's what happened..."

* * *

Vito stood in a large, dark room, the only light coming from the occasional beams of moonlight that shine in from the window behind a waving curtain. Behind him stood the massive machine he they had captured, looming over him as a large shadow in the darkness. Raising his hand, the Faunus swept sweat from his brow, eying the door that led to the room.

"Good evening Vito," a mans voice said, causing the Wolf Faunus to jump and whirl towards the corner.

"H-how...? I- uh," Vito stammered, taking a step back before clearing his throat. "I b-brought what you asked for."

"I can see that. You've far exceeded my expectations Vito, both you and the White Fang." The man stepped forwards, still shrouded in darkness as he observed the machine. "Have your mechanic remove the mind core, that is all I need. You can keep the rest of the body as payment."

"W-what? Now listen here," the Faunus began, stepping forwards. "I won't let you do this a second time. You promised to-" a blade extended seemingly instantly from the direction of the voice, pressing against Vito's neck. All the while the shrouded man hadn't appeared to move at all.

"Now now Vito," the voice said as the Faunus gulped, shaking slightly. "None of that. Remember our agreement." The blade lowered, disappearing balm into the shadows as the Faunus let go of holding his breath in fear. A beam of moonlight passed over the device, revealing the spider droids four massive legs and it's four cannons, red coloring glinting in the light. "We still have much work to do."

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_

_(P.S. I'm still working on how to get the Character List to you guys, by now I'm just thinking of sending the link to any who ask for it, ill update with more info next chapter.)_


	29. Chapter 24: Interrogation

_Here's the next chapter,_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"-so then what happened, huh? I heard you had to fight at least a dozen soldiers at once, exactly how many of them were there in all then? And what about those admin guys I heard about? How tough were they? I heard one could even control Grimm! So did the White Fang get what they want, or didn't they?"

"Uh..." for once, Yuan was speechless, the amount of questions causing him to look at his teammates for help. Yet the rest of CYRS and OWTR sitting beside him were unsure of where to start as well. Carter or Oliver were most suited to answer things like this, but both team leaders were currently in Ozpins office with Dijon going over the mission.

"That's enough questions Opal, they've been through quite a lot," Kyla cut in, putting a hand on her sisters shoulder.

"Awww, but they're mission was so cool! We didn't get to do anything as exiting as fighting off a dozen Grimm at once, or infiltrate a top secret facility!" Opal complained.

"But even so, our mission was still important to Vales security as well. But..." KONJ's leader leaned in and lowered her voice, "what was it like to work with a famous hunter like Dijon? Did he look anything like he does on his Hunters card?"

"Better!" Yuan replied, grinning. "He was awesome! He was all like; 'I've heard a lot of rumors about your year, and I'm glad to see they're true. Especially you Yuan, you practically carried everyone in this mission!'"

"He didn't say anything like that about you!" Sam interjected, glaring at Yuan. "What are you blabbing on about!?"

"Yeah, well, how do you know? He could have told me privately as we were flying back!"

"Yeah right, in your dreams," she retorted.

"So," Norem began as Yuan and Sam bickered, "I heard you guys managed to actually capture one of the higher ranking White Fang terrorists. How'd you manage that?"

"Most of the other admins and lieutenants managed to slip away when they signaled a retreat," Rowan replied.

"Including that chainsaw guy you and I fought," added Raphael,

"He was the only one still out when we finally took the facility," she continued. "That's what Dijon said."

"Radical! Maybe we can finally get some info on what they're planning!" Chad cheered.

"Or find where they're hiding they're base," Raphael agreed. "Then we can finally take out Vito."

"How are you feeling by the way," Kyla said, looking at the Faunus. "I ears you had a pretty bad fight with him, and you got hurt."

"I'm fine. I'll be better when I finally take down Vito for good."

"That's not a good idea, considering how badly you lost against him last time," Sam put in.

"Yeah, not matter what, uh, may or may not have happened between you before, you shouldn't hunt after him without thinking," Yuan added. The other students looked at him in confusion, but Yuan shook his head.

"It doesn't matter, I'll train more and get faster. Vito and the White Fang need to be taken down. We still have what they're up to, why they were at that facility, or what they were after. But now that we've got that lieutenant, that's about to change."

"Hmm, maybe," said Rowan.

"Hey mates!" Oliver called as he walked over with Carter and Dijon.

"There you guys are," Tiffany greeted. "How'd the meeting with Ozpin go?"

"Excellently," replied Dijon, smiling. "Oliver and Carter reported pretty much everything, I only had to voice in a bit. You all passed, of course, but I'm sure you could've guessed that by now."

As OWTR and CYRS cheered, Kyla walked nervously up to the hunter and pulled something from her pocket. "I- uh, D-Dijon? Could you, uh, sign my H-hunters card of you?" she asked nervously, cheeks flushed.

"Of course, anything for a fan!" the huntsman replied, taking the card and pulling out a pen. "Oh, thirty seventh season, that's a good one! And to whom should I make this out to?"

"Uh, K-Kyla Greene," she stammered.

Behind the pair, Tiffany grumbled a bit as she watched. "Is that a hint of jealously I detect?" William asked, sliding in beside her.

"Shut it," she growled, elbowing him in the gut. As William keeled over, coughing and clutching his stomach, Dijon turned back to the rest of the students.

"In addition to that, Ozpin also gave the go ahead for the interrogation of that White Fang lieutenant. CYRS, if you're interested, your welcome to come."

"Sure, we'll go," Carter agreed. Raphael had already shot to his feet.

"And OWTR, your welcome to come as well if you want."

"Nah, I think we'll pass on this one," replied Oliver.

"Agreed, we only just got back a few hours ago, and I'm still bushed," Tiffany added. Rowan nodded and stretched as well. William was still on the ground in the fetal position.

"We'll meet back up with you guys later," Carter said, waving as he and the rest of CYRS followed Dijon away.

"Uh, what's wrong with William?" Kyla asked as CYRS disappeared from sight, looking down at the writer.

"I have not idea what you mean," Tiffany replied, striding away back towards the dorms.

* * *

The White Fang lieutenant sat alone in a small room, hands chained to the table where he was resting his head face down. And single lamp hung from the ceiling, illuminating the table with light. The Faunus turned his head slightly as voices sounded just outside the room, before the door opened and five people stepped inside.

"You sure we're all gonna fit in here?" Yuan asked as he looked around the small room.

"You don't like it, why don't you leave and make more space," Sam retorted.

"Shush, both of you," Dijon interjected, standing at the opposite end of the table from where the lieutenant was sitting. The man had still not raised his face, yet was still listening.

"Bringing a bunch of kids to an interrogation? Now that's interesting," the Faunus lifted his head, gazing at the group who looked back at him. He was younger than they had expected, and his Faunus cat eyes caught a few of them off guard.

"A bunch of kids that took down your whole operation," Sam replied.

"Hmm," the lieutenant scowled a bit, looking from each student to the next, as if studying them. He paused on Raphael, before finally ending on Carter.

"What is your name?" Dijon asked, catching the lieutenants attention. The Faunus sneered, remaining silent as he leaned back against his chair. "Alright, you don't want to answer, fine by me. I'll get strait to the point then. What was the White Fang after in the facility?"

Again the lieutenant remained silent, Faunus eyes looking directly into Dijon's. Carter shifted unsurely from where he was standing.

"Uh, should we leave?" he asked.

"I won't make you stay if you don't want to, but I know what this means to you four," replied the Huntsman. "Plus, you could always think of it as more earned experience."

"Well I'm staying," Raphael growled, stepping towards the lieutenant. Before anyone could stop him, he'd extended the blade on his bracer and pressed it against the Faunus. "Where is Vito?! Where is he hiding?!"

Carter's eyes widened in shock as he stepped forwards. "Rapha-"

"Okay okay! I'm sorry I'm sorry!" the lieutenant cried, leaning away from the weapon. "I'll tell you everything, just get this crazy kid away from me!"

Dijon walked forwards, placing a hand on Raphael's shoulder. The student relaxed, shrugging off the hand and stepping away from the whimpering Faunus.

"Well that was easy," Yuan commented.

"I guessed something like this might happen. I'm sorry Raphael, do you think you'll be able to stay?" The boy only nodded, leaning against the wall. He did not however put away his weapon, the blade still jutting out from his bracer as he eyed the lieutenant.

"Now, where were we?" continued Dijon, turning back to the Faunus. "Let's start again. What is your name?"

The lieutenant turned back to the Huntsman, eyes occasionally flicking back to Raphael. "Eric. Eric Hope."

"Alright Eric, now we're getting somewhere! Now I want you to know, right here, and right now, I'm not going to hurt you. You have nothing to worry about from me."

"Uh, o-okay?"

"Next question, what were the White Fang after in that facility?" the Huntsman continued.

"I... I don't know."

"Really? Are you sure about that?" Raphael extended the second blade on his other bracer, causing the lieutenant to panic.

"I really don't know, please! I only got picked for my position recently! I became a lieutenant shortly before the raid! I was the last of the four! They never told us anything, I swear!" A long silence followed as Dijon studied the Faunus.

"Alright, I believe you." The Faunus sighed, relaxing a bit. "You said you were picked recently. Why?"

"V-Vito wanted more powerful troops he could use, so he took four of the best soldiers he could find among the grunts and assigned each of us to either himself or one of his admins. I was Colin's lieutenant, but like I said, I didn't serve under him for long, so I don't know anything special about him!"

"What about the other lieutenants? What can you tell me about them?"

"Well, there's Azalea, she's the one she fought," he pointed to Sam. "Azalea's Andreas lieutenant, she was one of the only people who could handle being so close to Grimm. Them there's Don, he was the most skilled of us four, and he's been working for Vito for awhile I think, so he's his lieutenant."

"I thought Bruno was Vito's right hand man," Carter questioned.

"He was, still kind of is. We as lieutenants only offered protection and support to our assigned leaders. Transferred their orders to the rest of the soldiers."

"And what about the last lieutenant? He must be Bruno's, but what's his name?" Dijon continued.

"I-I don't know, he was a quiet guy, we always just sort of called him 'The Lieutenant'."

"Okay. Where is your base of operations?"

"We used to be set up on the southern side of Vale, near the agricultural district."

"Used to be?"

"Before the mission, we packed up everything and took it with us, since Vito wanted to bring every soldier we had. He was planning on setting up somewhere else in Vale once we were done. But he didn't tell anyone where! He only told his admins, there's no what I could've known!"

"An do you have any idea as to what his next big plans are?"

"He didn't give us many details, but I think he's been wanting to go more open with our attacks, get the word out about our cause to free Faunus from you humans."

Dijon pondered for a moment before turning back to Eric. "Why are you suddenly being so open about this? As a lieutenant, you must have been at least trained to hold back information like this. You may have Faunus eyes, but I can still tell you've told the complete truth so far. So why would the mere threat of a Beacon student get you to talk?" The lieutenant was silent for a moment before speaking.

"Because something's not right with the White Fang. I've been talking with a few other Faunus, and even Don, and something just doesn't feel right. These missions don't make sense. We go and get a bunch of androids, but the drive we can use to make more suddenly disappears. We go to a facility to get some sort of secret object, but we never know what it is. It doesn't make sense. Vito's been honest with us about everything else. It's almost like he's hiding something."

"Thank you," Dijon replied nodding. "That's all the questions I have for now. I'll send some food for you in a little bit." Eric only nodded as well, resting his head back on the table. The huntsman led the way back out of the room, followed closely by the students.

"That's it? That's all we're gonna question him about?" Raphael asked.

"Like I said, I can tell wether or not someone's telling the truth, and he meant every word. It's likely there are many more like him who are doubting Vito's leadership."

"So what now? Should we go and look for where they'll be setting up their base?" Yuan said as they walked through the building.

"Haha, I like your enthusiasm, by you guys have done enough. More than I could have asked for in fact. But you should let the professionals finish this up. With the help you've given, and a few more interrogations with the other soldiers we got, we'll be able to go after these terrorists. Now I know that's not what you want to hear, but trust me, you've earned the break."

"Aw man, but it was so awesome working together!" Yuan complained.

"Wait, 'we'll be able'?" Sam put in. "Are you staying in Vale?"

"For a bit, yeah. I'll be going back to check home a little, but I'll be spending most of my time here. I've been selected to spearhead this terrorist issue, so I'll be working around her for awhile. It'll be just like old times, maybe we'll even meet up again a few times."

"Ooooo really? Can we? Can we pleasssseee?" Yuan said, grinning.

"Definitely. And if I ever get time off, we could even have lunch or something. How long has it been since we both sat down and had a meal together, eh little sis?" Dijon said, laughing.

"Maybe we could even bring Tiff along, I know she'd appreciate it," Sam added. "I think it'd be fun."

"Man, now that would definitely be like old times. But enough of that, I need to go file a report on that interrogation, and you four need some rest. So get going!" And with that, Dijon walked off back towards Beacon, waving behind him.

"Man, I can't believe we got to do an antiretroviral mission with Dijon Ambero!" Yuan grinned. "I'm still supper pumped from that. And I-" he gasped, scrambling at his pockets. "Ohmygosh! I forgot to ask him to sign my Hunters card! I've got to-"

"Oh no you don't!" Sam intervened, snagging her partners collar as he made to run after the Huntsman. "You'll have plenty of opportunities for that later. Now c'mon!"

"Awwwww," Yuan wined as the girl dragged him away. Carter chuckled and began following, before pausing and turning back to his own partner.

"You coming Raph?" he asked.

"Oh, uh, yeah," the Faunus replied, turning away from where he was staring out over Vale. The pair followed the rest of CYRS, making their way back to Beacon for a good nights rest.

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_


	30. Chapter 25: Tales of Beacon 2

_Hey guys, here's the next chapter! I decided to do another tales of Beacon, since neither of these short chapters were long enough individually. _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Playing Your Cards Right

"So wait, I have higher speed, but you still attack first?" Oliver asked, puzzling over the trading cards in his hand. He and Carter sat beside each other on the first year lounge's floor, Yuan and Kyla sitting opposite them.

"Yeah, that's because my Summer Rose card has the 'quick-strike' ability, which allows her to attack first each turn," explained Yuan. He and Carter had been attempting to teach Oliver the basics of "Hunters the Card Game" for awhile. They had also tried to teach Raphael, but the Faunus had ceased playing in frustration after his seventh loss, and was now sitting nearby watching the game. Kyla had taken his place as Yuan's ally, all the while claiming that she wasn't that much of a fan, even though she had some of the best cards in the game according to Yuan.

"You could activate your 'shield wall' ability on your Dijon card, that would negate all damage this turn," Kyla pointed out.

"Kyla! You can't help the enemy team!" Yuan chastised.

"We're just trying to teach Oliver the basics," Carter replied, "it's not a real match."

"But he's got to learn what it's like to be in a real duel, where you're backed Into the corner and have to fight your way out with cunning and strategy!" Carter rolled his eyes, turning back to his own cards.

"Hey, what're you guys up to?" Sam asked as the door opened and she and Tiffany walked in.

"Nothing!" CYRS's leader exclaimed, covering his cards.

"Relax, I could care less about your nerdy card game," the warrior replied, looking down at the students.

"Hey, this is not just some nerdy card game!" Yuan began. "'Hunters' is a game about skill of both your-"

"Yeah yeah," she interrupted as the two of them took seats with the rest of the teams. William and Opal sat beside Raphael, watching the card battle intently. Rowan struck up a conversation with Tiffany, evidently thankful to have someone to talk to. Norem looked over occasionally from where he was reading, while his partner Chad was too busy tinkering with his leg to notice anything.

"Anyways," Yuan continued, "you could use that ability, but I've still got Peter Ports ultimate Grimm slayer ability, which bypasses all defensive actions and kills your entire army of monsters instantly! Haha!" and he slammed the card down onto the ground in front of him. The group was silent for a moment, Yuan grinning to himself with his eyes closed while Kyla gaped open mouthed at the card, Carter raising his eyebrow at the boy, and Oliver still looking confused.

"Uh, Yuan," Carter put in. "You realize we only had one Grimm card each right? Neither of which were very powerful. Plus you left your two best cards completely open to the rest of our creatures."

Yuan's eyes shot open as the smirk disappeared from his face. "What?!" He whipped his head back to the cards, fear spreading across his face.

"Uh, what happened?" Oliver asked.

"Yuan basically just handed you guys the game," Kyla sighed, setting down her cards. Meanwhile Yuan was silently weeping over his own.

"Yeah, go team Oliver and Carter!" Opal cheered, jumping up.

"Uh, thanks Opal," replied Carter. "But shouldn't you be rooting for Kyla?"

"Nah, I can't root for sis all the time, she wins too much! But if we were working together like when we were the old 'Greene twins' team in school, I'd definitely root for us!"

"Wait, you're twins?" Yuan asked, looking up.

"Well yeah, how do you think both me and Kyla got into Beacon together?"

"But you look nothing alike?"

"They're fraternal twins genius," Sam interjected.

"Oh," the boy replied, looking sheepish as a murmur of giggles and chuckles sounded from the rest of the students. "Hey, I almost forgot!" the mage suddenly exclaimed, fishing something out of his pocket. "Check this out! It's a pack of the newest series of 'Hunters' cards that just came out!"

"When did you get that? We haven't been out into Vale in awhile," Carter asked as he collected and stacked his and Oliver's cards.

"Let's just say it was through certain special means," he replied, avoiding the question.

"You're mom mailed it you, didn't she?" Sam said, a small smirk at her lips.

"No!" her partner retorted defensively, secretly taking off the note addressed to him on the back off the pack and shoving it in his pocket. "Now if you please, I need some quiet in order to concentrate."

"Of course, my apologies," she relied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Yuan tore open the card pack with a carful ease and fluidity, as if he had partaken in the act all his life and mastered it like an art. If Sam could roll her eyes even further, she would have.

"All right then, let's see here..." Yuan began as he started flipping through the cards one by one. "Got it. Got it. Got it. Got it. Ooo, another foil Ursa Major, not bad. Got it. Got it. Go-" the boy stopped dead, mouth partially open mid sentence, eyes glued to the card in his hand. A look of horror and disdain swept across his face.

"Uh, Yuan? Are you alright?" Carter asked, looking concerned.

"What's wrong with him, he looks like he's about to be sick," Oliver observed.

"Here, let me see it," Kyla said, plucking the card from the boys grasp. Upon looking at the card, her look of surprise was quickly replaced by poorly hidden amusement as she covered her smile. She passed the card over to Carter and Oliver, many of the other students looking over their shoulders in curiosity.

"Well that's interesting," Oliver said. On the card was the familiar face of a short girl holding a round shield, with the name; "Sam Ambero" at the top.

"Whoa, that's actually kind of cool," Carter put in, before looking back to Yuan. "C'mon, it's not that bad that she's in a 'Hunters' card, is it?"

"It's not just that she's in a 'Hunters' card!" the boy exclaimed, scattering the other cards from the pack. "It's that she's really_ really_ good," he said, groaning into his hand.

"He's right, I've never seen such a high strength and attack stat combination," Kyla added, still suppressing a smile.

"Okay, now I'm curious," Sam broke in, walking over. Carter handed her the card, weary of what her reaction might be. The girl gazed at the sheet of cardboard for a few moments before speaking. "Huh, so that's what the interview was for."

"You knew about this?!" Yuan gasped.

"Yeah, a couple weeks back I got called in to answer some weird questions, I didn't really get most of it. I thought it was just for some magazine or something. And this card is, what, supposedly really powerful or something?"

"Well, I haven't really played seriously in awhile," Carter replied, taking back the card, "but yeah, I'd have to say this has got to be up there."

"Hmm," Sam looked from the card back to Yuan, who had been her partner long enough to recognize that things were about to go from bad to worse. "Hey Kyla, do you think you could teach me how to play?"

* * *

Green With Envy

"Ugg, I can't believe it!" Emmett grumbled as he stormed into his dorm room, followed by Nyte. "How is it that those losers got to go on some special mission with one of the best Hunters in the world!"

"Emmett, it's been three weeks since our first assignment. Let it go." his partner sighed, taking a seat.

"And us! We got stuck with stinking border patrol! All because you three were to slow!"

"Yeah, not because you were too busy bragging and boasting or anything," Nyte not-so muttered as he pulled out a small hand held device. Emmett however didn't hear, as he was still to busy griping in anger.

"That's it then! It's decided! We'll train even harder! We'll show those losers shy we're the best team in Beacon!"

"Yeah, no thanks, it's way too late In the day."

"Alright, fine. Veronica!" ENVY's leader called, looking towards the girl on the other side of the room, whose head was bent as she was texting vigorously as usual. She showed no sighs of hearing the boy as he called again. Emmett grumbled, stomping over to his teammate and reaching over to yank the scroll from her hands. As he reached however, the girl turned and glared at the boy, holding her device close. She didn't have to activate her semblance to stop the boy dead, and he turned away, grumbling louder.

"Hey, Taupe!" Emmett began, walking over to the last member of his team. The sullen boy was standing alone in the corner, facing the wall drearily. Emmett grasped the boy shoulder, forcing him around to face him. "Hey, Remnant to Taupe! C'mon, we've got work to do!"

The boy was unresponsive, staring blankly at Emmet with a look that would make even that weird cheery Opal girl feel depressed. "Meh, whatever," Taupe mumbled.

The leader released his teammate, stomping back towards his bed and falling onto it, brim bling louder than ever. Taupe simply turned back to his corner silently, as if nothing had happened. After awhile Emmett's griping died down, the boy simply staring up at the ceiling in the rooms silence. Or partial silence at least.

Looking over, Emmett saw were the slight noise was coming from. Nyte was deeply engrossed in a game he was playing on the device he had pulled out earlier, laying on the bed besides Emmett's. The leader huffed, turning back towards the ceiling. A few more minutes passed, Emmett eventually turning back over to his partner.

"What're you playing?" he asked.

"Hmm?" replied Nyte, only partially listening.

"On your... what is that, a Scroll?"

"It's a GS, Gaming Scroll."

"Oh." A few more moments passed, during which Veronica actually spoke up, but it ended up only being a laugh from one of her texts.

"It's called Flappy Nevermore," Nyte finally said. "It's pretty difficult, I doubt even the great Emmett of ENVY could beat it," he added slyly.

"Ha, yeah right," he replied, sitting up. "I'll take that bet."

* * *

Half an hour later

* * *

"Why. Is. This. So. Frustrating!?" Emmett shouted in frustration. "Stupid game," he growled as the small black bird once again slammed into a tree.

"Told you it was hard," Nyte said, smirking. "I've only ever gotten a score of thirty seven."

"Yeah well, I only just started." Emmett's score was currently capped at a measly eight.

"What are you two doing!?" Veronica asked grudgingly. The two boys looked up, not having noticed her approach. "I'm trying to have a conversation here!"

"We're just playing a game, lighten up," the leader retorted.

"Yeah, not like you'd have any notion for fun anyways," Nyte muttered. Veronica squinted her eyes in a glare at the boy, snatching the device from them.

"What is this, Flappy Nevermore? I've already played it."

"Oh yeah? What's your highest score?" Emmett asked.

"Twenty one. What about you?"

Emmett replied with a series of angry mumbles, the words "just started" and "stupid game" being prominent. "Nyte's score is thirty seven, beat that!" he said, looking smug.

"If it'll make you two shut up, then fine, I will. Scoot over."

* * *

Another half hour later

* * *

"I would have had it last round but you bumped me! Admit it!" Veronica exclaimed.

"Oh please, you just can't admit that I'm still the champion," retorted Nyte.

"Alright, alright, it's my turn," Emmett butted in, reaching for the device.

"Wait, I've got an idea!" Veronica said, standing and bringing the scroll out of her leaders reach. "Taupe!" she called. Her partner hadn't moved during the entirety of the last hour, simply continuing to stare at the wall. "Wanna play a game?"

They boy turned slightly, looking at the rest of his team scrunched up across the room. "Sure, whatever," he said, shrugging.

"Oh please, like he's going to do any better," Emmett scoffed as Taupe walked over. Veronica handed her partner the device, sitting back down beside the others. Taupe looked down at the game, eyes as sullen as ever, and he started to play. In just a few minutes, the boy matched Nyte's score, continuing on to double, than triple it, all on his first and only Nevermore. Emmett and Nyte stared open mouthed at the feat, while Veronica smirked at their expressions.

"Give me that!" Emmett finally interjected, snatching the device from his teammate. "If he can do it that easily, than so can I!" Taupe showed no surprise, shock, or any other emotion for that matter at the game being taken from him, instead just starring off into space.

"Hey, he wasn't done with his turn yet!" Veronica protested.

"You've already proven your point, now I'm proving mine!" the leader retorted.

"Fine. But it's my turn after you."

"I thought it was my turn next!" Nyte put in.

"Oh shush, you can go after me."

"It's my game!"

"Yes! I did it!" Emmett cheered, interrupting them.

"You beat Taupe's high score?!" They both asked bewilderedly.

"No, I beat mine! Just got to twelve!"

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_


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